Florence Pugh names her favourite Florence Pugh movie
Although Florence Pugh is still in the early stages of her career, her rapid rise to prominence is undeniable. With a diverse array of performances ranging from horror films to comedic roles, she has solidified herself as one of the most prominent breakout stars of our era. Amidst her impressive body of work, one might wonder: which project stands out as her favourite?
Pugh herself will be the first to admit that she favours the stranger roles. She said, “I like a role where some of the character’s motivations are confusing or at least interesting,” as she’s always drawn to more left-field projects. So far, Pugh has become an A24 darling thanks to her role in the emotionally terrifying Midsommar, made the world fall in love with her bratty take on Amy March and tackled huge topics like addiction in A Good Person. In all of her movies, her roles play on the line of unlikability as she turns her characters into fully formed, flawed and three-dimensional people.
From independent projects to major Hollywood blockbusters like Dune, Pugh has more than proved her potential. But with so many iconic characters already under her belt, surely picking a favourite is like trying to pick a favourite child.
For Pugh, however, it all has to return to the start. When Jimmy Fallon asked her the painfully difficult question, she didn’t opt for a major box office hit but instead for the movie that caught Hollywood’s attention, Lady Macbeth.
When she was only a 20-year-old start-up, the 2016 independent film Lady Macbeth was her second-ever project, and Pugh was thrown into the deep end as the titular character and leading lady. “It was such a weird, small-budget movie,” she said of the work.
Adapted from the 1865 novella Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, this wasn’t a classic Macbeth re-do. Instead, this tale is ten times as twisted as Pugh’s character descends into total madness. As only a new actor, she played it masterfully and caught the key of bigger directors as a result. It also won her some awards as she picked up ‘Best Actress’ at the British Independent Film Awards.
When it hit cinemas, everyone seemed to be in agreement that Pugh was a star set to rise fast. She delivered a performance that provided undeniable proof of her talent, leading the film with a sense of maturity way beyond her acting years. Her characterisation of the spiralling women was no doubt a reason why Ari Aster knew she could manage the role of Dani in Midsommar, having already demonstrated her ability to dive deep into dark roles.
Seemingly setting up her entire career, Pugh always has to thank Lady Macbeth because it was an important moment and still her top project. “I appreciated what it did for me and my career,” she said as she chose it as her favourite Florence Pugh film above all others.
