FLORENCE PUGH
FROM YOUTUBER TO MARVEL SUPERSTAR
By Lee Parham
Before she became Marvel’s latest superhero, Florence Pugh worked her way up in the entertainment industry through many different forms of media.
Born into a creative family in Oxford, England in 1996, Pugh’s mother Deborah is a dancer while her older brother Toby Sebestatian is an actor and singer, appearing on shows such as Game of Thrones.
Prior to acting, Pugh expressed her creativity by recording covers of famous songs and posting them on YouTube. Her channel, simply named “FP”, has over 18 thousand subscribers.
In 2014 she starred in her first ever motion picture, an independent British film called The Falling alongside Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams.
The Falling earned her major recognition, including a nomination for Best British Newcomer at the BFI London Film Festival and Best Young British Performer by The London Film Critics Circle.
In 2016 Florence later went to star in an adaptation of Shakespeare’s iconic Lady Macbeth as Katherine and in 2018 she played Cordelia in another Shakespearean adaptation this time of King Lear.
The remainder of 2018 saw Pugh breaking into mainstream cinema with roles in the Liam Neeson action thriller The Commuter and as Elizabeth de Burgh along Chris Pine in Netflix’s Outlaw King.
Outlaw King
2019 was the year of Florence Pugh. Early in the year she portrayed real-life WWE wrestler Paige in Fighting with My Family. The transformative performance was lauded by critics and wrestling fans.
Secondly, Pugh terrified audiences as Dani in Ari Aster’s folk horror film Midsommar in a subtle and nuanced yet haunting performance as an unsuspecting woman being assimilated into a cult.
To end a fabulous 2019, Florence played Amy March in Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s novel Little Women, earning her an Oscar nomination for the first time in her career.
After over a year of delays, Pugh is finally set to take the screen as Yelena Belova in Black Widow, the younger sister of Scarlett Johansenn’s Natasha Romanoff who’s finally getting a solo film.
Belova is taking over the mantle of Black Widow from Romanoff, building her up to have a long future in the MCU. Her next appearance is in the Disney+ series Hawkeye premiering later this fall.
Later this year Florence Pugh will star in Don’t Worry Darling from director Olivia Wilde. This 1950’s set thriller sees her co-starring with Harry Styles, Gemma Chan, Chris Pine, and Wilde herself.
From cult horror films to superhero flicks and book adaptations, Florence Pugh has had a prolific start to her career and is posed to be one of Hollywood’s biggest stars for years to come.