It’s been a whirlwind year for Florence Pugh. In 2019, the English actress saw massive success with Fighting With My Family, Midsommar, and Greta Gerwig’s Oscar darling Little Women, boosting her into super-stardom practically overnight. And now Pugh has joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe by earning a starring role in the upcoming Black Widow. It’s a list of achievements any actor would be proud of…but also one that would tire anyone out.
In a interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Pugh stated that she will be taking a break from the world of Hollywood. Since she began acting professionally in 2014 with The Falling, Pugh has been going non-stop, unwilling to let the momentum of her career peter out. In 2018 alone, she appeared in The Commuter, Outlaw King, Malevolent, a TV movie version of Shakespeare’s King Lear, and the miniseries The Little Drummer Girl. That’s a lot of work for one actor in a year’s time.
Pugh didn’t show any signs of slowing down the year after that. Her roles in 2019 were quite taxing, both physically and emotionally. Fighting With My Family required intense CrossFit training for her role as professional WWE wrestler Saraya-Jade “Paige” Bevis. To play an elite assassin f0r Black Widow, Pugh adopted a strict workout regimen, even going so far as to learn kickboxing and learn how to use knives. Even Little Women required the actress to hoist herself out of a water tank for many takes in soaking wet, heavy Victorian clothes.
After filming for Black Widow wrapped, Pugh said to THR, “I am taking a break. I’m aware that I’ve been going for about four years now. I’ve been saying I need to just chill for a second for about two years, but I’m so bad, because I will hear that something’s going around, and I’m like, ‘Oh my God. I need to do Midsommar.’ Then they’re like, ‘But Florence, you said you wanted to have a break.’ So that’s my fault. But I am going to try and just rest for a second.”
If Pugh really is taking it easy for awhile, she’s definitely earned it.
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