Perhaps the most amazing part of “Midsommar” isn’t how creepy or how beautifully crafted the film is. Instead, it’s the performance of Florence Pugh in the lead role. It’s a tour de force performance that served as the breakout role for her. But according to the actor, “Midsommar” is the last time she is going to go to that length for a role.
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Speaking on the “Reign With Josh Smith” podcast, Florence Pugh talked about how she has to learn how to protect herself when taking on a new role. She said this specifically when looking back at her role in Ari Aster’s “Midsommar.” That was a role that saw Pugh tackle huge emotions for a long amount of time. She likens that performance to abusing herself.
“Protecting myself is something I’ve had to learn how to do,” Pugh said. “Like, there’s been some roles, and I’ve given too much … and I’ve been broken for a long time afterwards.”
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She added, “Like when I did ‘Midsommar,’ I definitely felt like I abused myself in the places that I got myself to go to, which is the nature of figuring these things out is you need to go, ‘All right, well, I can’t do that again, cause that was too much.'”
Interestingly, when you look at Pugh’s work since “Midsommar,” you do see how she has taken on roles that are a little less devastating. Of course, it would be difficult to find a role that demanded as much as “Midsommar” did. But it’s clear that Pugh is definitely making sure she is protected.
Pugh can now be seen in the romantic drama “We Live in Time.” Her next big role after that is in this year’s “Thunderbolts*” where she returns as Yelena Belova.
You can watch the full interview below:
