What I’ve come to realize over the years is that a woman’s relationship with her body is a lifelong one. And, it can feel complicated and hostile no matter what size or age you are. I always love that Florence Pugh speaks out on this topic, and isn’t afraid to strut her stuff on red carpets and in her movie and TV projects. But, I really didn’t expect her thoughts about what she thinks about her “stomach rolls” and “cellulite” when shooting her often high-profile roles.
Pugh is a Hollywood actress who’s said before that she decided not to “comply” to the Hollywood diet culture norm once she grew “thighs, bums and boobs”. In a new interview, she spoke about how she handles her body image when it’s filmed from all angles with these words:
There’s so much scrutiny of how we look, how we dress, and how we age. And then when we do those things, they’re like, 'Oh my God, she looks like this, or she’s done too much of that, or she’s gained weight, or she’s lost too much weight.' You can never get any footing right. I feel like the best work that I’ve ever done is when I truly feel ugly. When I’ve got shit makeup on and I’m either sick or ugly or having a hangover or a breakdown. I love that type of makeup because it allows me to be free.
While I’d think that the secret to body positivity, especially when it’s on display for all to see, is feeling pretty, Pugh said just about the opposite is true for her. But, what she said next is really what got me thinking:
What I love about acting is, I don’t have the typical self-consciousness of just being a woman. When I’m acting, I get to be comfortable in the body that I’m in. If the camera picks up that I have a stomach roll when I’m sitting down, then I have a stomach roll when I’m sitting down. And if the camera picks up that I’ve got cellulite on my thighs, then yeah, I’ve got cellulite on my thighs. I just give it over to the art. So performing is very freeing for me, and it always has been.
I can’t imagine how vulnerable it is to have your body captured all day, especially since I know we all have those days when our bodies can feel like an enemy. However, Pugh said that acting and embodying a character on camera actually allows her to put away any body image insecurities she might have and give it over to the project she’s in.
I was really taken aback that this element of acting has “always” felt that way for her, too. It’s unexpected, but so wonderful to hear. I feel like we all need an outlet where we can live and move within our bodies without fear of judgement like this in a world where the body image noise can feel relentless. Pugh also added this when speaking to Elle:
It is so crucial to be okay with how you are and who you are, because people are going to attack you regardless. They’re going to say really shitty things, no matter if you’re too small, too big, too wrinkly, too spotty, too loud, too quiet, too opinionated. They’re going to find issue with you, because that’s just the nature of the internet and people and opinions. So it’s really important to find peace with what you want to represent and who you want to be. Because then you can just be like, 'Ugh, those dickheads.'
All women have a different relationship with their bodies, but I know one thing that changed things for me was when I realized it’s kind of a universal experience. The size 2 woman and the size 12 woman could both be insecure about their bodies to the same exact level. AKA there's no real winning or having the perfect body – just being OK and learning to love the one we have. Pugh speaks very thoughtfully about this by pointing out that there’s going to be scrutiny regardless, so might as well be “you”.
The Thunderbolts* actress has famously freed the nipple at multiple events and in big movies and TV shows. She's also spoken openly about online criticism and how as a society she thinks we’ve become “so terrified of the human body”. The Oscar nominee has also been honest about how “it never feels good” to receive mean comments online about her confidence or weight no matter where she's at with it herself.
You can see Florence Pugh in her latest project East of Eden right now with a Netflix subscription, and look forward to seeing her in two movies on the same day on the 2026 movie schedule, Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part 3 on December 18. I don't know about you, but it's so refreshing to see such a famous actress in Hollywood get real about body insecurities.
