Florence Pugh has spoken out about the unrealistic expectations placed on female stars in Hollywood, sharing her frustration over the pressures they face
Venice Film Festival: Florence Pugh discusses ‘saying no’
Actress Florence Pugh spoke out against the pressures faced by female leads in Hollywood, criticising the trolling they endure to meet a certain standard. The actress made a heartfelt comment about Keira Knightley, expressing sympathy for the body shaming she had experienced.
On the red carpet and magazine covers, Florence consistently challenges the traditional expectations of Hollywood’s leading ladies. When a critic of her role in Fighting with My Family referred to Florence’s “chunky thighs,” she swiftly hit back online, defending herself. In 2022, after wearing a daring see-through Valentino dress in Rome, Florence faced body-shaming comments. Responding directly to trolls, she wrote: “So many of you aggressively let me know how disappointed you were by my ‘tiny tits’… Grow up. Respect bodies. Respect all women.”
Florence told The Sunday Times that she could relate to Keira’s experience of being body-shamed and expressed her sympathy for her. She said: “Look, not everybody has legs that go on for days. I remember watching this industry and feeling that I wasn’t represented. I remember godawful headlines about how Keira Knightley isn’t thin any more, or watching women getting torn apart despite being talented and beautiful. The only thing people want to talk about is some useless crap about how they look. And so I didn’t care to abide by those rules. I’ve loved challenging ideas I don’t like.”
Florence also opened up about the pressures women face in the industry, sharing her thoughts on how societal expectations often force them into certain molds. She told the publication: “I always prodded at things, ‘I’m not nasty – I hope people think I’m kind’. But there are fine lines women have to stay within, otherwise they are called a diva, demanding, problematic. And I don’t want to fit into stereotypes made by others. It is really exhausting for a young woman to just be in this industry, and actually other industries. But I’ve always been encouraged to have a voice.”
Florence gained recognition for her performances in films such as Lady Macbeth (2016), Midsommar (2019), Little Women (2019), and Black Widow (2021). She received critical acclaim for her breakthrough role in Lady Macbeth, winning the British Independent Film Award (BIFA) for Best Performance by an Actress in a British Independent Film. Her role as Amy March in Little Women earned her Academy Award and BAFTA nominations for Best Supporting Actress. Additionally, Pugh won the Female Revelation award at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for her role in Oppenheimer (2024).
Before achieving international stardom, Pugh made her cinematic debut in this compelling mystery drama starring Game of Thrones breakout Maisie Williams. Titled The Falling, the 2014 film follows a group of schoolgirls in 1969 who get caught up in an epidemic of mass hysteria after a devastating tragedy. Despite not being a bit hit at the box office upon its initial release, The Falling has developed a cult following.
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