Thunderbolts star Florence Pugh recently opened up about how dramatically the Hollywood industry’s attitude toward her shifted following two major milestones in her career: her Oscar nomination and her entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Florence Pugh, now 29, made her film debut in 2014 with The Falling, but it was her powerful performance in the 2016 independent film Lady Macbeth that put her on the radar of critics and cinephiles. Her breakthrough continued with the BBC/AMC miniseries The Little Drummer Girl, where her compelling screen presence attracted further acclaim.
Speaking in a recent interview with Who What Wear, Pugh candidly shared how the industry’s perception of her underwent a dramatic shift after she earned an Academy Award nomination in 2020 for her role as Amy March in Little Women, directed by Greta Gerwig. That same year, she also entered the superhero universe through her character Yelena Belova in Marvel’s Black Widow—a role she has reprised in multiple MCU projects.
“It was like I entered a completely different career,” Florence Pugh said of the experience. “Once those two things happened—getting the Oscar nomination and joining Marvel—it felt like I walked through a door, and suddenly everyone spoke to me differently.”
She went on to emphasize that it wasn’t her acting ability or work ethic that had changed, but rather how she was being perceived. “It’s not that my work had changed or what I could provide had changed,” she explained. “It was just that there was a whole different way of approaching me—almost like I didn’t need to explain my corner anymore. It was like, ‘No, no, we got it.’”
Currently, Florence Pugh is basking in the spotlight once again with the release of Thunderbolts, Marvel’s latest ensemble film in which she stars alongside Sebastian Stan and Lewis Pullman. Her role continues to solidify her as one of the most dynamic and respected young talents in Hollywood.
Through her journey, Pugh has not only proven her range as an actress but also highlighted the sometimes superficial nature of recognition in the entertainment industry.