If you haven't heard about Florence Pugh yet, you're about to. The 23-year-old British actress, who broke out in several smaller films over the past few years, is set to appear in a handful of major features [1] over the next year or so [2]. First up, the deeply creepy horror flick Midsommar. A leading candidate for the Summer's most unsettling movie, Pugh stars as one of a group of friends who visit rural Sweden for a rare festival [3], only to discover that there's some seriously disturbing stuff afoot [4]. Pugh is set to be one of the buzziest stars of the season, so we've rounded up a selection of fun facts about her, from her earliest performance to why you recognise her brother, and more!
She's Been Performing All Her Life
Florence shared a hilarious story with The Guardian about her earliest memory of performing [5]: age 6, as Mary in a school nativity play, where she took some . . . liberties with her character.
"I remember hobbling on to the stage, going [in a broad Yorkshire accent], 'Ooh, me varicose veins!' and everyone p***ing themselves . . . It was the first time I knew the power of being on stage. I remember thinking, 'Oh God, they're waiting for me, they're listening to everything I say and I have complete control.' I still feel that now. How everyone is hanging on to your every word; how they are going to feel how you want them to feel."
She Grew Up in England
Florence grew up in Oxfordshire, England, with a family that supported her and her siblings' creative endeavours — and dramatic personalities — from day one.
"I grew up in a very loud and dramatic household, and we loved being in the spotlight [6]," she told Vanity Fair. "I remember being about six years old, for the first day of school, and sitting in the back of a Chrysler, pretending to cry while listening to Tracy Chapman."
She Spent Part of Her Childhood in Spain
In an interview with The Guardian, Florence revealed that her family spent some time in Spain when she was a kid, partially in hopes that the climate would help with her respiratory issues.
"Even though we moved out there for other reasons, looking back on it, I'm so happy I had that childhood – in and out of the sea naked, cycling down the road in my knickers, and bartering with the sweet shop owner."
The Entertainment Business Is Family Business
Florence isn't the only member of her family who's launching a career in the biz. Her brother, Toby Sebastian, played Trystane Martell on Game of Thrones and is a singer-songwriter, and her sister Arabella Gibbins is a theatre actress.
Her Family Isn't All in the Performing Arts, Though
She's got an actor-singer for a brother, an actress for a sister, and a former dancer for a mum, but there's one member of Florence's family who has nothing to do with performing. Her dad owns restaurants in Oxford, which she reminisced and joked about [7] with The Guardian.
"I can't remember a Friday when I was younger when I wasn't eating a pizza, flirting with the barman," she joked.
She's Already Racked Up Some Major Awards and Nominations
Pugh's performance in 2016's Lady Macbeth earned her the British Independent Film Award for Best Actress. That same year, she was nominated (alongside future Little Women costar Timothée Chalamet [8], among others) for the BAFTA Rising Star Award.
She Has the World's Cutest Dog
One mainstay of Florence's social media is her beloved dog. Albert (aka "Sir Albert Pugh") is a gentle giant who makes plenty of appearances on her social media and just might be even more loved than she is, but who can blame us?
She's Starring in This Year's Hottest Adaptation
Florence's next role is as Amy March in the hotly anticipated Greta Gerwig adaptation of Little Women. She'll be starring alongside Laura Dern, Emma Watson [9], Saoirse Ronan, Timothée Chalamet [10], and more in the film, slated for a holiday release this year.
She Relates More Than a Little to Her Little Women Character
When Vulture asked Florence which March sister her Midsommar director Ari Aster would be, she revealed her own personality as well. Turns out, she was perfectly cast as Amy!
"I think [Aster] might be Amy! He's so opinionated and saucy, and knows exactly what he wants: to marry a rich man and do art on the weekends. And I'm the same."
She's Starred Opposite Some of Hollywood's Biggest Names
Although she's only 23 years old, Florence has already worked as a leading lady alongside some pretty big stars. In the historical drama Outlaw King, she played the wife of Chris Pine [11]'s title character, and in the miniseries adaptation of The Little Drummer Girl, she was opposite Alexander Skarsgård [12]. She also had a major role in the Dwayne Johnson-produced Fighting With My Family.
She's About to Join the Superhero World
We don't know much about Florence's biggest role to date: a mysterious role in the upcoming Black Widow standalone film. As with most things Marvel, everything about the film is shrouded in mystery, and that includes her role. Early speculation and leaked set photos [13] suggest she might be playing Yelena Belova, a longtime rival of Black Widow's from the comics.
She's in a Group Text With Her Screen Family
In an interview with Vulture, Pugh dropped this fun tidbit: there's a group chat [14] for the Little Women cast, which includes some Hollywood luminaries along with the younger, newer cast members.
"[It's called] 'Big Chicks,' [mostly] photos of us in our funny costumes."