Florence Pugh was born on 3 January 1996 inOxford[2][3] to dancer Deborah and restaurateur Clinton Pugh.[4][5] She has three siblings: actor and musicianToby Sebastian, actress Arabella Gibbins, and Rafaela "Raffie" Pugh.[6] She suffered fromtracheomalacia (awindpipe condition causing breathing problems) as a child, which led to frequent hospitalisations. The family relocated toManilva in Spain when Pugh was three years old, hoping the warmer weather would improve her health. They lived there until she was six, when they moved back to Oxford.[6][7]
While still studying insixth form, Pugh made her professional acting debut in the 2014 drama,The Falling, playing a precocious teenager oppositeMaisie Williams.[8][9] Tara Brady ofThe Irish Times deemed Pugh "remarkable", whileIndieWire's Oliver Lyttelton called her "striking".[10][11] In the same year, Pugh was nominated for Best British Newcomer at theBFI London Film Festival as well as for Young British / Irish Performer of the Year by theLondon Film Critics' Circle.[12][13] The next year, she was cast as a singer-songwriter in thedramedy pilotStudio City, co-starringEric McCormack as the character's father.[14] The pilot was not picked up to series.[15] Pugh later characterised her experience onStudio City negatively due to pressures to change her appearance.[16]
In 2016, Pugh starred in the independent dramaLady Macbeth, a film based onNikolai Leskov's novellaLady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, and appeared in the first series of theITV detective seriesMarcella.[3] In the former, she played Katherine, an unhappily married bride who grows violent. Pugh attributed her attraction to the part to her partiality to characters with "confusing or at least interesting" motivations.[17] The role earned her acclaim.[17] She also credited the production with reviving her interest in cinema after being dispirited byStudio City.[16] Reviewing the film forVariety, Guy Lodge commended her portrayal of the character's "complex, under-the-skin transformation".[18] She won theBIFA for Best Performance by an Actress in a British Independent Film for the role.[19]
Breakthrough and critical recognition (2019–present)
Pugh starred in three major films in 2019, during which she was recognised as having experienced an international breakthrough.[26][27] She first played professional wrestlerPaige inFighting with My Family, a comedy-drama about Paige's career. The film premiered at the2019 Sundance Film Festival to positive reviews.[28] Geoffrey Macnab ofThe Independent called Pugh "completely convincing as the wrestler", adding that she showed "the same defiance, scruffy glamour and self-deprecating humour as the real life ... Paige".[29] Pugh next headlinedAri Aster's horror filmMidsommar, which chronicles an American couple, played by her andJack Reynor, who travel to Sweden and encounter a cult.[30] Critics complimented Pugh's portrayal of the desolate Dani Ardor, withDavid Edelstein ofVulture calling it "amazingly vivid".[31][32]
In her final film release of the year, Pugh starred inLittle Women, aperiod drama film adaptation ofLouisa May Alcott'snovel of the same name directed byGreta Gerwig. She portrayedAmy March, a fickle artist, from age 12 into adulthood, and has said that the character is in a "sweet spot of not knowing how to deal with her emotions".[33] The film received critical acclaim and grossed $209 million.[34][35] In his review, David Rooney ofThe Hollywood Reporter praised the "disarming grace, humor and a willful streak that grows almost imperceptibly into wisdom" with which Pugh managed the part's "tricky contradictions".[36] Pugh earned nominations for theBAFTA andAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance.[34][37]
Pugh portrayedYelena Belova, a spy, in theMarvel Cinematic Universe superhero filmBlack Widow.[38] She said the film was about "girls who are stolen from around the world".[39] Released in 2021, it garnered positive reviews from critics, who highlighted Pugh's performance.[40][41]Caryn James ofBBC Culture credited Pugh for making Belova "the most vibrant person in the film, more lived-in than most action-movie characters".[42] She reprised the role in theDisney+ seriesHawkeye later in the year.[43]
In 2022, Pugh starred in the thrillerDon't Worry Darling, directed byOlivia Wilde, and the dramaThe Wonder, an adaptation ofEmma Donoghue'snamesake novel.[44][45] While filming the former, she allegedly clashed with Wilde, causing her to limit the amount of promotion she did for the film.[46][47]Don't Worry Darling premiered at the79th Venice International Film Festival, where critics deemed Pugh's performance superior to the film.[48][49] InThe Wonder, she played a nurse in 1862 who is sent to investigate an alleged supernatural miracle. Kevin Maher ofThe Times found Pugh's "impossibly vivid and convincing" performance to be the film's prime asset.[50] In her final release of the year, she voicedGoldilocks in theDreamWorks animated filmPuss in Boots: The Last Wish, which earned over $480 million worldwide.[51][52]
Zach Braff's drama filmA Good Person (2023), in which Pugh starred as a car crash survivor, marked her first producing venture.[53] Instead of opting for a wig, Pugh cut off her own hair for the part.[54] She also wrote and sang two songs, "The Best Part" and "I Hate Myself", for the film's soundtrack.[55] InChristopher Nolan's biographical filmOppenheimer, starringCillian Murphy in thetitle role, Pugh playedCommunist Party USA memberJean Tatlock.[56]Empire's Dan Jolin wrote that she "elegantly dominate[s] her few scenes".[57] With a worldwide gross of over $967 million,Oppenheimer is Pugh's highest-grossing release.[52]
In 2025, Pugh reprised the role of Yelena Belova inThunderbolts*.[64] She insisted on filming the scene where Belova jumps from the top ofMerdeka 118 without using stunt doubles.Marvel Studios was initially reluctant to allow Pugh to perform the stunt due to insurance concerns, but after her persistent efforts, including discussions withKevin Feige, she was permitted to perform the jump.[65] Pugh stated her reasoning being: "It’s our duty as actors to protect and defend your characters and to put in the life. There’s so much that’s on the page, but it’s really what you add to it in the last 20% that actually makes every character that any actor plays. There’s so many -isms that I was very welcomed into putting into the movie."[66] The film and Pugh's performance received positive reviews from critics.[67]
Pugh is known for her fashion sense, with publications such asHarper's Bazaar andBritish Vogue calling her fashion choices "bold", "daring" and "unique".[69][70][71][72] At aValentino show in 2022, she wore a sheer pink gown, which led to some backlash as it showed her nipples. Commenting on the reception, she defended her choice and her body on Instagram.[73] A year later, she wore another transparent gown to a Valentino event.[74]
Journalists have often noted Pugh's outspokenness when using social media to address issues such asbody shaming,cyberbullying, andbeauty standards.[75][76][77]British Vogue's Raven Smith reported that her sincerity, interest in others, and humility distinguish her from more guarded actors,[78] whereas Andrea Cuttler ofHarper's Bazaar said that her open off-screen persona has come to be expected due to establishing "a career playing women who refuse to be silenced".[79] Annie Lourd ofThe Independent credits Pugh with "carving out a niche playing difficult characters you know you should hate, but, for whatever reason, end up rooting for".[80] Pugh has said that she gravitates towards roles that terrify or challenge her,[81] and observed that "all of my movies have that element of women being forced into a corner, forced into an opinion, forced into a way of life ... And then finally, something cracks".[82]
In a 2022 readers' poll byEmpire magazine, she was voted one of the 50 greatest actors of all time.[83] Terming her "one of the very best of her generation", the magazine attributed her success to bringing "a grounded empathy to her characters".[83] Pugh was included on the entertainment category ofForbes magazine's annual30 Under 30 list, which recognises the 30 most influential people in Europe under the age of 30, in 2019.[84]Time magazine placed her on the artists category of its100 Next list, which highlights rising stars and emerging leaders in their fields, in 2021.[85] In 2023, the magazine featured her in theirNext Generation Leaders list.[49]
Personal life and other work
From 2019 to 2022, Pugh was in a relationship with American actor and filmmakerZach Braff.[82] They met while working together on the short filmIn the Time It Takes to Get There,[86] which Braff directed,[87] and lived together in Los Angeles.[88] She defended the 21-year age-gap between them, following public scrutiny.[89] She dated photographer Charlie Gooch in 2023.[90]
Speaking at theTogether for Palestine fundraising event in London in September 2025, she said, “Silence in the face of such suffering is not neutrality; it is complicity in a crime.” She also urged attendees to call on governments to respond to the situation in Gaza. Additionally, Pugh has signed a petition urging the British government to end its interference in Gaza’s affairs.[95]
^Muir, Kate (11 October 2014)."The Falling at the London Film Festival".The Times.Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved9 May 2021.Lydia's best friend for ever ... is Abbie, played by Florence Pugh, who was nominated for best newcomer at the festival.
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