Florence Pugh on why it’s important for her not to ‘fit into stereotypes made by others’

In an interview with The Times published on Sunday, the actress talked about living life unapologetically and opened up about how “exhausting” it is for women to be in the film industry.

“There are fine lines women have to stay within, otherwise they are called a diva, demanding, problematic,” Pugh said. “And I don’t want to fit into stereotypes made by others.”

When it comes to beauty standards in film and television, Pugh said she recalls the “godawful headlines” about actresses like Keira Knightley and their appearance, despite their talent.

“The only thing people want to talk about is some useless crap about how they look,” she said.

Still, she added, “Look, not everybody has legs that go on for days. I remember watching this industry and feeling that I wasn’t represented.”

The conversations around how women look in the film industry inspired Pugh to not give into the negative comments or change the way she looked to fit in.

“I wanted to challenge how women were perceived, how we are supposed to look,” she said. “Actually I wasn’t trying to challenge. I just wanted to be there, to make space for a version of a person that isn’t all the things they used to have to be.”

In the past, Pugh has called out trolls for criticizing her looks or her fashion choices. In 2022, after wearing a pink, see-through Valentino gown to a fashion show, she took to Instagram and told those commenting on her body to “grow up” and “respect all women.”

Pugh said she’s “proud” that she’s “stuck by myself” over the years “and look the way I look.”