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Florence Pugh has sent a thoughtful response to a fan whose mother died of cancer.
The actor, 28, plays a world class chef with stage three ovarian cancer in John Crowley’s romance drama We Live in Time. Her character has a seven-year-old daughter with her partner (Andrew Garfield) at the time of the recurrence.
Upon seeing the film, one viewer shared the story of their mother’s illness on social media and praised Pugh’s performance for allowing them to gain greater insight into her final weeks.
Sophie Temple, 24, explained on Pugh’s Instagram that her mother had been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer when she was two-years-old and was given six months to live. “She stuck it out through four years of chemo[therapy] and drugs and treatment to give me a chance of remembering her,” she said.
Temple said her mother died when she was six and, despite Pugh and Garfield being two of her favourite actors, she was uncertain whether she could watch We Live in Time due to the parallels with her own life.
“I watched it in a fully empty theatre with my mom’s stuffed animal and a box of tissues and god I’m so glad I did,” she said.
Praising Pugh’s performance, Temple added: “You captured every emotion my mom felt so beautifully. I only have a couple journal entries left of her, so god, Florence, your performance is such a gift.
“I was so little, so sheltered. I didn’t understand what she was experiencing. Getting to witness it [through] this film - I just can’t express my gratitude enough.”
Pugh responded to Temple’s heartfelt message in her Instagram comment section and thanked her for sharing her story. “Thank you for taking your time to write your heart here in the comments,” she said.
“It goes without saying that I am incredibly sorry for your loss, especially at such a young age. I can’t imagine the ways that it affects one’s life and the processing that inevitably comes for years after.”
The Oppenheimer star continued: “It’s always the wish that my work speaks to someone, somewhere, feeling the same thing. To read just how much it meant to you is not only a privilege to hear, but feels like a gift knowing that it’s helped in some way.
“Thank you for sharing your story. I appreciate your time both in watching the movie and in writing [to] me here. To hear that the work we made matters, genuinely gives me the energy to tackle these honest stories again and again. So, thank you.”
Fans were quick to applaud the interaction. “Florence’s words to that fan were truly heartwarming. It’s amazing how a simple act of kindness can provide comfort in the darkest of times,” one person wrote on X/Twitter.
“Sending love to everyone who’s facing similar battles,” they added.
Meanwhile, another user said: “That’s really touching. Florence Pugh’s compassion shines through.”
We Live In Time will be released on 1 January 2025.
