Florence Pugh shared her thoughts about her appearance and revealed that her grandfather used to ask her why she’d let some of her “ugly spots” show.
The 27-year-old actor opened up about beauty standards in the entertainment industry during a recent interview with Vanity Fair. She appeared on the cover of the magazine’s annual “Hollywood Issue”.
During the conversation, Pugh was asked how she felt about the change in beauty stereotypes over the years; celebrities have notably been praised for having a “more human” appearance, rather than a seemingly “flawless” one. Pugh responded by saying that she “loves” this shift before revealing that her grandfather used to question her about her looks at the beginning of her career.
“When I started out, my granddad would always tell me off and be like: ‘Why are you showing everyone your ugly spots?’” the Dune star said. “He’d be really confused as to why I’d show my cellulite. My answer was like, ‘Well, I’d much rather do it than they do it, and then I feel ashamed.’”
Pugh confessed that there’s “no pretending” with her and described some aspects of her physical appearance that fans don’t always see.
“When I put on makeup and step in a wonderful dress, I give credit to the people that made me look like that,” she continued. “And I also want my fans to know that (a) I don’t look like that all the time and (b) I also have stress acne, and I also have hairy eyebrows, and I also have greasy hair.”
She said she’s spoken out about her looks because she’s “always thought that was a way better way to do it. Just be honest and open—then no one has to call you out for anything. You are who you are.”
This isn’t the first time that the Don’t Worry Darling star has addressed today’s beauty standards and her sense of style. In July 2022, she pushed back against critics of the transparent pink Valentino gown, which showed her nipples, she wore at the label’s haute couture show in Rome.
“What’s been interesting to watch and witness is just how easy it is for men to totally destroy a woman’s body, publicly, proudly, for everyone to see,” she wrote in the caption of her Instagram post, at the time. “You even do it with your job titles and work emails in your bio..?
After expressing how “vulgar” some of these critics had been, Pugh acknowledged that she’s “come to terms with the intricacies of [her] body that make” her who she is.
“I’m happy with all of the ‘flaws’ that I couldn’t bear to look at when I was 14,” she added. “So many of you wanted to aggressively let me know how disappointed you were by my ‘tiny tits’, or how I should be embarrassed by being so ‘flat chested’. I’ve lived in my body for a long time. I’m fully aware of my breast size and am not scared of it.”
During an interview with Vogue in December, the Midsommar star reflected on the criticism over her dress, explaining: “I’ve never been scared of what’s underneath the fabric. If I’m happy in it, then I’m gonna wear it. Of course, I don’t want to offend people, but I think my point is: How can my nipples offend you that much?”
