2022 was a big year for Florence Pugh. Despite all the BTS drama surrounding Don't Worry Darling, the actress was praised for her leading role in the movie (which passed $87 million at the global box office). She also received excellent reviews for her performance in the Netflix period thriller, The Wonder. She was also cast in two high-profile projects, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part Two. Now, amid her success, the Lady Macbeth star is getting candid about why getting to work with actors her age -- like Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet -- was so pleasant, and she makes an excellent point.
Florence Pugh was recently featured in Vanity Fair, during which she spoke about everything from maintaining authenticity to her love of her friends and career. During the interview, the Midsommar actress was asked whether she had much common ground with actors of her generation, which caused her to start gushing about performing with her fellow Dune stars. Based on her comments, it sounds like the actress learned quite a bit while working with fellow members of “young Hollywood.” She told the publication:
It’s actually an interesting point because for the majority of my career I’ve worked with lots of older actors that I’ve had to pinch myself for working with. I’ve learnt a lot just by watching. To do Dune with those specific actors at the front, like Timmy [Chalamet] and Zendaya and Austin [Butler]—they are remarkable people, number one, and unbelievable actors, number two. They’re stars in their own ways, not in the cliché way of using the word. They’re just—they’re sparkly people. I’m now lucky enough to call them all my friends, which is super exciting. For me to be able to work with the 'young Hollywood' of the moment, and them being beautiful people, and then have them on my phone when I want to text them—to see that that’s the direction in which our industry is going is such a wonderful feeling.
It’s lovely to hear the actress speak highly of her fellow actors. I bet her joy of working with her castmates can only translate to positive chemistry on the screen. As mentioned, she does make a good point here, as it has to be invaluable to have peers by your side who understand what you're going through as a young actor. There are honestly few things more comforting than having friends -- no matter what the context is.
While Florence Pugh hadn’t worked with Zendaya or Austin Butler until Dune: Part Two, it won't mark the first time that she and Timothée Chalamet have collaborated. The two stared alongside one another in Greta Gerwig’s Little Women, a film for which Florence Pugh received an Oscar nomination. The two actors have spoken highly about working with each other, Pugh going as far as calling Chalamet this generation’s Leonardo DiCaprio. The two A-listers have even developed an inside joke about working together.
The Black Widow alum is set to play Princess Irulan in Villeneuve’s second part of his adaptation of author Frank Herbert’s iconic sci-fi epic. Irulan, in the first novel, is pretty well removed from any hardship, struggle, and action. She also spends most of the story as a sort of narrator, removed from the characters and events of the book. However, it sounds like the actress spent a bit more time with co-stars, which might mean the director has expanded the Princess’ role for the second part. We'll have to wait until Dune: Part Two hits the 2023 new movie releases schedule to determine how much screen time she shares with her fellow “young Hollywood” members, though.
Florence Pugh can next be seen on the silver screen in the Zach Braff-directed movie A Good Person starting on March 24, followed by Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, and then Dune: Part Two later in the year. We got our first look at Pugh in the Dune 2 trailer, and we can't wait to see her in these other films. Fans of the actress might be interested in our list of 9 movies and television shows to watch if you like the Black Widow star.
