Florence Pugh is pushing back against the fashion-focused expectations placed on actresses in Hollywood, saying the industry often conflates acting with modeling — and unfairly so.
In a candid new cover story for Who What Wear, the Oscar-nominated actress from “Thunderbolts” opened up about the evolving demands placed on performers, particularly the pressure to look and present like runway models. The Marvel star, who has become one of Hollywood’s most compelling young stars, says the industry’s fixation on physical appearance — especially on red carpets and in photo shoots — distracts from what actors are actually hired to do: act.
Lewis Pullman, Hannah John-Kamen, Geraldine Viswanathan, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Florence Pugh, and Jake Schreier attend the New York Special Screening of THUNDERBOLTS hosted by The Cinema Society at iPic Theater on April 30, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Disney)
“It’s so sh*t,” Pugh told Who What Wear. “It’s not the same thing. It’s not the same thing at all. I had this conversation recently with a friend.… It’s just mental that red carpets are even an expectancy of someone that is not…. That’s not even their job.… They don’t model.”
Pugh, 29, went on to emphasize the emotional depth and vulnerability required in acting — a skillset she believes is being overshadowed by image-based expectations.
“They are good at being on a camera that is this close with that face, and they know how to show how raw their soul is on the flick of a switch,” she said. “That’s their talent. Their talent isn’t anything beyond that. I mean, it might be, but that’s what they’re getting paid to do, and that’s what we recognize them for.”
Florence Pugh attends the New York Special Screening of THUNDERBOLTS hosted by The Cinema Society at iPic Theater on April 30, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Disney)
The Oppenheimer star said it’s unfair that actors are often compared to professional models, particularly on red carpets. “You’re supposed to be able to be like a runway model, and you’re compared against runway models,” she said. “That’s not our job.”
A Growing Burden in Modern Hollywood
Pugh’s comments come amid a broader conversation about how social media, fashion, and celebrity culture intersect in today’s entertainment industry. Increasingly, actors are judged not only by their performances, but by their Instagram presence, red carpet looks, and how well they photograph. This has led to growing concerns that talent is being overlooked in favor of appearance — especially for women in the business.
Reports in recent years have highlighted how casting decisions can be swayed by an actor’s social media following or visual appeal, even for roles that have little to do with glamour. Pugh acknowledged these shifting dynamics, noting that the expectations for actors have drastically changed over the past decade.
Learning to Navigate the Spotlight
While Pugh has become a red carpet regular and a muse for several high-profile designers — including Valentino and Harris Reed — she admits the process hasn’t always been comfortable. When asked whether modeling feels like stepping into a character, the actress was quick to reject the comparison.
“It’s so exposing because it’s you being beautiful, which is like everybody’s inner hell,” she said. Unlike acting, where she can inhabit someone else’s skin, modeling puts her personal identity and appearance front and center.
That vulnerability has taught her to advocate for herself, especially when it comes to styling. “Once you do, you know, shoot after shoot after shoot, you get better, and you get more confidence,” she explained. “You see the pictures, and you see the work, and you’re like, ‘Okay, that looks great. I’m going to now make sure that I know how to argue when a certain piece of clothing isn’t working.’”
Pugh said learning how to stand up for herself on set and during shoots has been a gradual process — one that came with experience and self-awareness.
Grounded in Her Craft
Despite her growing fashion credentials, including head-turning appearances at the Venice Film Festival, Met Gala, and most recently London Fashion Week, Pugh remains focused on her primary role: storytelling. With critically acclaimed performances in films like Lady Macbeth, Midsommar, Don’t Worry Darling, Oppenheimer, and Dune: Part Two, she has established herself as a serious and versatile actress.
But even with such a strong resume, she said the pressure to be aesthetically perfect never quite goes away.
“If I’m disappointed about how something turned out or looked or if someone’s saying something nasty about the dress that I was wearing or if I was a bit too heavy for the dress or a bit too this or that or whatever sh*t someone wanted to say to me,” she said, “I have to be like, ‘Babe, this is not even why you’re…. This is not your job.’”
A Message for the Next Generation
Pugh’s words reflect a growing movement among actresses and public figures who are calling for a reevaluation of how women are perceived and judged in entertainment. In recent years, stars like Jennifer Lawrence, Zendaya, and Emma Stone have also pushed back on body-shaming and image-based commentary, advocating instead for a return to valuing the craft of acting.
For Pugh, it’s about drawing a clear boundary between performing and being perceived.
“I’m here to do my job,” she said. “And that job is not modeling.”
As Hollywood continues to wrestle with issues of representation, body image, and the conflation of fame with beauty, voices like Pugh’s are helping to reshape the conversation — one honest interview at a time.
