A24
Florence Pugh has never been one to shy away from throwing herself into dramatic and highly emotional acting, but her role in director Ari Aster’s disturbing Midsomer took her to extremes. I don’t want to repeat it because I led it.
Pugh recently reflected on the challenges of such a deeply immersive role. In Ari Aster’s Midsommar, she played Dani, a grief-stricken woman who is drawn into the clutches of a Swedish cult and grapples with personal tragedy.
“There were some roles that I gave too much to and then I was broken for a long time,” Pugh said on the podcast “Reign with Josh Smith” (quoted from People magazine). “I definitely felt like I was abusing myself in places I wanted to be, like when I did ‘Midsommar.'”
Although her performance was praised by critics and audiences alike, Pugh was honest about the toll it took on her health. “Understanding these things means you have to think, ‘Okay, that’s too much and I can’t do it anymore,'” she said. “But watching that performance, I’m really proud of what I did and I’m proud of what came out of me. I don’t have any regrets. But certainly, I have to respect myself. There are some things that must happen.”
Director Ari Aster and Florence Pugh on the set of “Misomar” | A24
The Oscar-nominated star has previously spoken about his experience on Midsomer. On the Off Menu podcast in March 2023, she spoke about the spiraling nature of her role. “With each passing day, the content gets stranger and more difficult to execute,” Pugh said. “I was thinking in my head that it was going to get worse and worse. I think by the end I was probably abusing myself to get that performance.”
Even after production ended, the emotional weight remained. Pugh recalled feeling unexpectedly guilty about leaving Dani behind as she boarded a plane for her next project, Little Women. “I remember looking out[outside the plane]and feeling incredibly guilty because I felt like I had left[Dani]there in that[emotional]state.” she said. “It’s very strange. I’ve never had anything like that before. (…) I definitely felt like I left her there to be abused.”
Despite the challenges, Pugh is proud of her work and grateful for the opportunity, but she has learned to set boundaries to protect herself in the future. Regarding Ari Aster, the writer and director of Midsommar, Pugh said in a March 2023 interview with the New York Times that he was “unusual in the sense that he was a crazy genius in a way” and “a stand-up guy through and through.”・Comedian” She also recalled his humor on set, saying: He will keep running and everyone will laugh and cry. ”
The busy star recently appeared in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part 2, is currently in theaters with the romantic drama We Live in Time starring Andrew Garfield, and will soon be starring in the MCU as Yelena Belova. There will also be a re-performance of the show. Thunderbolt*.
