Florence Pugh complains it’s ‘exhausting’ to be a young woman in Hollywood as Oppenheimer star slams beauty standards
Florence Pugh has blasted the “exhausting” nature of being a young woman in Hollywood, criticising the industry’s unrealistic beauty standards and treatment of actresses.
The 28-year-old star made the candid remarks as she addressed the challenges faced by women in the entertainment industry.
“It is really exhausting for a young woman to just be in this industry, and actually other industries,” said the Oxford-born actress, who has starred in acclaimed films including Oppenheimer and Little Women.
The 28-year-old told The Times: “There are fine lines women have to stay within, otherwise they are called a diva, demanding, problematic.”
The actress, who has been nominated for an Oscar for Little Women, emphasised her refusal to conform to these stereotypes.
“I don’t want to fit into stereotypes made by others,” she said, noting that she has “always been encouraged to have a voice.”
Pugh spoke about witnessing the harsh treatment of women in the industry throughout her career.
“I remember godawful headlines about how Keira Knightley isn’t thin any more, or watching women getting torn apart despite being talented and beautiful,” she recalled.
“The only thing people want to talk about is some useless crap about how they look.”
Knightley has recently spoken about her decision to step away from showbiz after the “trauma” of intense public and press scrutiny, beginning with her role in Pirates of the Caribbean at age 17.
At the age of 22, Knightley suffered a mental breakdown and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Pugh’s stance on beauty norms was also informed by feeling “unrepresented” earlier in her career.
“I wanted to challenge how women were perceived, how we are supposed to look,” she explained.
“I’m proud I’ve stuck by myself and look the way I look — I’m really interested in people who are still angry with me for not losing more weight, or who just hate my nose ring.”
She added that while she cannot change everything, she can help young women entering the industry “by making conversations happen.”
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In that vein, Pugh has also drawn attention to the controversy over her sheer pink Valentino dress last year.
“I speak the way I do about my body because I’m not trying to hide the cellulite on my thigh or the squidge in between my arm and my boob: I would much rather lay it all out,” she told Elle UK.
Addressing the backlash to her show-all dress, the 28-year-old noted: “People are terrified of the human body.”
“We need to keep reminding everybody that there is more than one reason for women’s bodies (to exist),” Pugh declared.