‘Even the viewers were traumatized’: Florence Pugh will never do anything like this iconic movie again after ‘abusing’ herself on set

There’s a great debate within creative circles about whether actors count as artists or just entertainers. It’s difficult to determine what truly distinguishes the two disciplines, but in a very limiting shorthand, an artist goes deeper than simply aiming to entertain, and consequently, the best actors often end up delving deeper than just performing lines and hitting marks. For Florence Pugh in Midsommar, what started as a once-in-a-lifetime role apparently ended up taking her to an unfamiliar, dark place that felt like abuse.

Today, Florence Pugh is one of the most recognizable actors of her generation, with iconic scenes in modern-day classics like Little Women and Oppenheimer. It’s clear Pugh prioritizes a good role over a big role, as evidenced by her willingness to play supporting characters despite her fame being enough to sell a movie on its own. Recently, Pugh appeared on the Reign with Josh Smith podcast and discussed various turning points in her career, particularly how she felt there were big roles where she gave too much of herself — Midsommar chief among them.

If you haven’t watched Midsommar yet, you’re missing out. It’s a horror film about Dani, played by Pugh, who is stuck in an emotionally unfulfilling relationship with her boyfriend who only stays with her out of guilt after the tragic death of her sister and parents. Over the course of the film, Dani finds herself gaining confidence through her integration into a Swedish cult that doesn’t hesitate to kill to achieve its goals. When the film was first released, much of the conversation revolved around how it was one of the few notable horrors set exclusively during the day. But as time has passed, it’s remembered more as the role that cemented Pugh’s status as a bonafide Hollywood star.

The most striking aspect of the movie — though it has plenty going for it — is Pugh’s lead performance. She managed to ground the film with genuine emotion, preventing it from being overshadowed by the heightened intensity surrounding her character. Her work in Midsommar ranks alongside Daniel Kaluuya’s performance in Get Out as one of the most captivating in 21st-century horror.

Pugh has since admitted that her performance came at a personal cost. According to Business Insider, Pugh reflected on the role: “There have been some roles where I’ve given too much, and I’ve been broken for a long while afterward. Like when I did Midsommar, I definitely felt like I abused myself in the places I got myself to go.”

However, Pugh emphasized that she doesn’t look back at the role negatively. In fact, she made a point of expressing pride in her performance. Still, she acknowledged that defending Dani’s decisions and internalizing them to the point of being defensive about her character took its toll. And we have to agree — making that role feel natural must have been a Herculean task. Pugh described it as “exhausting,” affirming it’s an experience she never wants to repeat in her career. And while the film is an outstanding portrayal of a breakup, it’s also exhausting for the audience, much like breakups themselves. One X user hilariously quipped that even the viewers were traumatized by Midsommar, so it must be no surprise if Pugh felt the same.

As humans, we may never come to a consensus on what art truly is, but if we define it as entertainment that lingers and leaves a lasting impression, Florence Pugh’s performance in Midsommar was undoubtedly high art. And if she now feels that roles like this take too much from her, we’re more than eager to see where this decision leads one of our generation’s defining artists moving forward.