It won’t be long before everyone has heard of Florence Pugh. The breakout Brit has been hailed as “the new Kate Winslet” for her performances in a slew of recent films, and is the star of The Little Drummer Girl, AMC’s spy thriller that premiered last night (November 19.)
With more high-profile projects in the works, her star is only going to get brighter in 2019, so here’s your chance to bone up on her performances to date.
1. The Falling (2014)
All eyes were on Maisie Williams in this disturbing mystery by Carol Morley, as it was one of her first roles since coming to prominence as Arya Stark in Game of Thrones. She played schoolgirl Lydia, who suffers fainting spells during an outbreak of mass hysteria at her school, but Florence’s brief but impressive performance as Lydia’s best friend Abigail got her noticed.
2. Lady Macbeth (2016)
Florence took center stage in this bleak, tough-minded adaptation of a short story by Nikolai Leskov, about a young woman sold into marriage to a middle-aged man. Her performance drew particular praise, with critics calling her a “major talent,” and plenty of award nominations coming her way.
3. King Lear (2018)
Emily Watson and Dame Emma Thompson got their teeth stuck in as Lear’s manipulative elder daughters Goneril and Regan in Richard Eyre‘s adaptation of Shakespeare‘s famous play. It is their enigmatic younger sister Cordelia who provides the emotional fulcrum of the play, however, and that role went to Florence.
4. Outlaw King (2018)
Florence plays Elizabeth de Burgh in Netflix’s historical film about Scottish king Robert the Bruce, played by a very hirsute Chris Pine. It’s fair to say it hasn’t got great reviews, but most single out Florence’s portrayal of Robert’s wife as a highlight.
5. Fighting with My Family (2019)
How about this for versatile? This upcoming comedy written and directed by Stephen Merchant is set to prove Florence is more than a British starlet in period costume. She plays professional wrestler Paige, and the recently released trailer shows her holding her own alongside comedy old hands Nick Frost, Vince Vaughan, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
6. Little Women (2019)
It’s going to be tough to shine in a cast that features Emma Watson, Saoirse Ronan, Timotheé Chalamet, Laura Dern and Meryl Streep, but Florence will surely try. She plays Amy March in Greta Gerwig‘s reworking of the novel by Louisa May Alcott, the role played by Kirsten Dunst in the 1994 movie.
Greta Gerwig's Little Women Are Here! See Emma Watson and Saoirse Ronan All Bundled Up on Set https://t.co/jfmbsPSShm
— People (@people) November 6, 2018
Have you spotted Florence anywhere else?