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Born in England in 1996, Florence Pugh is one of the younger MCU superheroes. She first appeared in Black Widow as Yelena Belova, and reprised her role in the new Disney+ series Hawkeye. However, despite her youth, Pugh is no stranger to acting or interesting roles. Outside her role in the MCU, she appeared in a multitude of movies as well as several TV series.
That's even more impressive considering that Florence Pugh only started her onscreen acting career back in 2014, when she was just 18 years old. Those viewers who only saw her as Yelena then have a lot of other good movies to choose from. Pugh takes each role she plays and makes it her own, turning it memorable.
Updated October 7, 2022, by Kath Leroy: Some actresses make a few successful movies and then disappear from the spotlight. The young British actress Florence Pugh is one of the lucky ones, however. Thanks to her talent and variability, the 26-year-old actress has built a rich career since her early acting days which only date back to the mid-2010s. Florence Pugh takes care to choose roles in different genres, proving her wide acting range. She's been even more active in the last few years, and, as such, has appeared in multiple movies that got positive reviews from audiences and critics alike. Even though Pugh's name is connected to the role of Yelena Belova, her fans can get to know the actress' work better thanks to some of her other great performances.
10 The Falling (2014)
If her fans want to see how Florence Pugh started her acting career, The Falling is the best choice. This psychological drama takes place in 1969 and focuses on a mysterious epidemic that had the pupils of one British school falling unconscious.
The movie also gives a lot of space to the different characters of various students, most importantly Lydia (Maisie Williams) and Abbie (Pugh) who are friends despite being very different people. Both young actresses give nuanced performances that prove their enormous acting talents. The movie has a slower pace, but once the viewer understands what's going on, they will be interested to find out how the story ends.
9 Lady Macbeth (2016)
Despite what the title suggests, Lady Macbeth isn't an adaptation of the famous drama by William Shakespeare. Instead, it focuses on a young woman Katherine (Pugh) who gets married to Alexander, a man she barely knows — a common fashion in the English countryside in 1865. Alexander soon leaves home, while Katherine stays alone and eventually forms an intimate relationship with another man.
The movie gets the audience thinking about the role women used to play in society and how difficult it was for them to become the masters of their own destinies. Florence Pugh shines as the clever and passionate Katherine. Even though her heroine isn't always sympathetic, her journey is fascinating to watch.
8 The Commuter (2018)
Florence Pugh rose to even greater stardom when she played Yelena Belova in Black Widow (2021) but that’s not the first time she took on a part in an action movie. The Commuter centers around Michael McCauley (Liam Neeson) who used to work for the police but is now leading a calmer life. At least until he gets the task to find someone who doesn’t belong on the train Michael is commuting on regularly.
The movie uses the limited train setting well and keeps the audience hooked from the start to the finish. It helps that it has a strong cast. Pugh has a smaller part of Gwen in the movie but even in the limited space, her character has a substance to it thanks to Pugh’s performance.
7 Outlaw King (2018)
Chris Pine is best-known thanks to his roles in Star Trek and Wonder Woman. However, Pine proves his acting chops alongside many other talented actors in this drama oriented on an important piece of Scottish history. In the fourteenth century, Pine's Robert Bruce takes the Scottish throne for himself and fights to free Scotland from England's grasp.
The movie will be enjoyable for both history buffs, and those who are interested in learning more about this time period and what was happening in Scotland. As for Florence Pugh, she has a smaller but still important part of Elizabeth Burgh in the movie. Elizabeth went on to marry Robert Bruce and became his second wife.
6 King Lear (2018)
Lady Macbeth might not have been a Shakespeare adaptation, but the TV movie King Lear is. And it's a must-watch for all fans of British actors as it stars many famous names, such as Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, Jim Broadbent, Christopher Eccleston, Emily Watson, and others.
Pugh plays King Lear's youngest daughter, Cordelia. The moments between Cordelia and her father belong among some of the best scenes in the movie, thanks to both Hopkins' and Pugh's talent.
5 Little Women (2019)
The novel Little Women is a classic that has the potential to entertain even today's audience. It has been adapted into movie form multiple times, the first time way back in 1933. The new adaptation, directed by Greta Gerwig, belongs among some of the best versions.
The clever story makes the audience think and sympathize with the four heroines who are all different but have one thing in common: they wish to live their own lives the way they want to. Thanks to the work of Pugh, Emma Watson, Saoirse Ronan, and Eliza Scanlen, the movie will be the ideal piece for everybody who needs a bit of inspiration and optimism in their lives.
4 Midsommar (2019)
Some actors appear dominantly in horror movies, while others have less experience with this genre. Florence Pugh finally visited it thanks to the 2019 original movie Midsommar directed by Ari Aster. Pugh plays Dani, a young woman who goes on a trip to Europe with her boyfriend Christian. It sounds like the ideal time — except their relationship is going through a serious crisis.
Their getaway takes a turn for the worse when they visit a small northern village. The movie builds an intense atmosphere, and it's difficult to guess what will happen next as the characters get caught up in what seems to be a cult. Pugh once again gives an excellent performance and her rising fear about the situation she finds herself in is very believable.
3 Fighting With My Family (2019)
Florence Pugh often sports her signature blonde locks, but she changed her style for this movie. Other than her dark hair, the type of role she portrays is also quite different from usual. Her heroine Paige is a successful wrestler who trains alongside her brother but of the two siblings, it's Paige who gets her big shot even if it means leaving her family behind.
Despite the somewhat serious topic, the movie also works with comedy elements. It's one of the few rare stories that manage to be both funny, touching, and dramatic at the same time.
2 The Wonder (2022)
One of Florence Pugh's latest movies is also the second-best-rated movie in her filmography right after Little Women, at least for the time being. With only over 100 reviews on IMDb at the time of writing, the movie's rating is likely to change, either for the better or for the worse. In the story of love and evil, Pugh gives yet another balanced performance.
The cast is strong overall, starring names such as Ciarán Hinds, Tom Burke, and Toby Jones. Based on a novel by Emma Donoghue who excels at diving deep into her character's psyche, The Wonder is a complex story with characters whose life journey it’s fascinating to discover.
1 Don’t Worry Darling (2022)
Florence Pugh is constantly surprising her fans by appearing in movies of different genres, showing various facets of her talent. This time, Pugh plays one of the leading parts in the complex psychological thriller Don’t Worry Darling. Set in the 1950s, Pugh’s Alice is a young woman married to Jack (Harry Styles) who lives her seemingly perfect life. However, Alice begins to suspect there’s something strange going on in the company her husband works for.
Since the movie is primarily told from Alice’s perspective, the viewers initially have no idea what’s going on just like Alice herself. As the strange occurrences pile up, the movie ramps up its atmosphere. Its plot twists have the power to surprise the audience. As such, it’s best to watch the movie without knowing more details about the story. Pugh is convincing in all of her heroine’s moods and fears, and the rest of the cast, including the likes of Chris Pine, Gemma Chan, or Olivia Wilde (who also directed the movie), doesn’t disappoint either.