The first movie scene that “horribly terrified” Florence Pugh: “I just hated it”
There are often scenes from the films we watch as children that completely traumatise us, despite not containing anything explicitly scary, which justifies such an intense reaction.
It could be the first glimpse of Voldemort in Harry Potter or the entirety of the ‘Other Mothers’ presence in Coraline, but there are countless films marketed as childhood classics that half scared us to death, leading us to harbour strong memories of watching them and yearning to never feel that way again.
We tend to think of Florence Pugh as the ultimate scream queen after her role in Midsommar, which led her to perfect the art of terror through her subtle expressions and blood-curdling screams. This became Ari Aster’s calling card and a symbol of his affinity for horror, sparking his mainstream fanbase and the beginning of Pugh’s quick rise to fame.
However, while the film terrifies most people, the actor was fairly unperturbed by the horrors of the Swedish cult, developing a thick skin as a child after being disturbed by one franchise movie that had a lasting effect on her.
As children, we are often far more sensitive to what we see on the silver screen, experiencing visceral reactions to sound effects, shots and stories that can stay with us forever. It’s why we have such fond memories of the films we watched at this time, embedding themselves within deep corners of our minds and staying with us forever.
This was certainly the case for Florence Pugh and her reaction to The Lord of the Rings, which is widely regarded as one of the greatest fantasy franchises of all time. Some have fond memories of seeing Gollum for the first time or Bag End, but for Pugh, one gnarly sight burned into her brain and gave her the fright of her life.
The actor said, “I definitely didn’t watch scary films growing up. I just didn’t want them in my head, and I know that the first time I ever got horribly terrified by something was actually Lord of the Rings, when all the Orcs came out. I remember my uncle kneeling down, being like, ‘It’s OK. They’re just all silly men with makeup on,’ and I was like, ‘I don’t like the silly men with makeup on.’ He was like, ‘See, look? If we pause it, we can see the makeup.’ I’m like, ‘Ahhhhhhhh!’ I just hated it.”
There are many terrifying creatures within the Lord of the Rings universe, but each one has its own set of unique characteristics that could delight one person and traumatise the next. Some might find the creatures somewhat endearing, but Pugh was not willing to give them a chance, seeing through her uncle’s attempt at diminishing her fear and seeing the orcs for what they truly are.
But since then, the actor seems to have developed an aversion to being afraid, performing dangerous and potentially life-ending stunts in the Marvel universe that most people would avoid with a ten-foot pole. Perhaps these early viewing experiences added to her fearless performing style today, making her one of the most effortless movie stars of her generation.
