Florence Pugh critiques beauty standards, challenges industry stereotypes

Washington [US], December 17 : Actress Florence Pugh recently discussed the challenges of being a woman in Hollywood, expressing how exhausting it can be to constantly navigate industry expectations and beauty standards.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the star of 'We Live in Time' spoke out about her decision to go against the grain and defy stereotypes imposed on women, in a recent interview.
"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," Pugh shared, adding, "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," as per The Hollywood Reporter,
Having been in the industry for a decade, Pugh reflected on the early years of her career and the way women in Hollywood are often ridiculed for their appearance.
She recalled how, early on, headlines about fellow actress Keira Knightley would often focus on her physical appearance, diminishing her accomplishments.
"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 anymore, 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," she said, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
For Pugh, challenging beauty standards has been an important part of her journey.
"I wasn't trying to challenge. I just wanted to be there, to make space for a version of a person that isn't all the things they used to have to be," she explained.
Throughout her career, Pugh has consistently broken away from the expectations of how women should look and behave in the spotlight be it cutting her hair short or wearing bold fashion choices like a see-through dress on the red carpet.
"I'm proud I've stuck by myself and look the way I look," she stated, adding, "I'm really interested in people who are still angry with me for not losing more weight, or who just hate my nose ring. I am not going to be able to just change the way that things are -- but I can certainly help young women coming into this industry by making conversations happen where they weren't before," as per The Hollywood Reporter.
Pugh has also been outspoken about her body image, rejecting society's unrealistic expectations.
As per The Hollywood Reporter, in a 2023 interview, she emphasized her decision to embrace her body as it is.
"I speak the way I do about my body because I'm not trying to hide the cellulite on my thigh or the squidge in between my arm and my boob: I would much rather lay it all out. I think the scariest thing for me are the instances where people have been upset that I've shown 'too much' of myself," she said.
The actress recalled how wearing a sheer Valentino dress at an event triggered an online backlash.
"When everything went down with the Valentino pink dress a year ago, my ni**les were on display through a piece of fabric, and it really wound people up. It's the freedom that people are scared of; the fact I'm comfortable and happy," as per The Hollywood Reporter.
Meanwhile on the work front, currently, she is starring alongside Andrew Garfield in 'We Live in Time' and is set to appear in 'Thunderbolts'.
Additionally, Pugh has been announced for a seven-episode limited series based on John Steinbeck's 'East of Eden' for Netflix.