Florence Pugh attends the “Oppenheimer” UK Premiere.Photo:Joe Maher/WireImage
Joe Maher/WireImage
Florence Pughis comfortable in her own skin.
The actress, 27, opened up about embracing her body in a cover shoot and interview forElleUK’s October issue.
“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 wouldmuch rather lay it all out," she said. “I think the scariest thing for me are the instances where people have been upset that I’ve shown ‘too much’ of myself.”
TheOppenheimerstar then went on to discuss the backlash she received for wearing asheer pink halterneck gownto the Valentino couture show in Rome last summer.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Florence Pugh in Valentino.Jacopo Raule/Getty
“When everything went down with the Valentino pink dress a year ago, my nipples were on display through a piece of fabric, and it really wound people up,” said Pugh. “It’s the freedom that people are scared of; the fact I’m comfortable and happy.”
Pugh added that she thinks the reaction showed people are “terrified of the human body.”
Florence Pugh on the cover of ELLE UK.ELLE UK / Danny Kasirye
ELLE UK / Danny Kasirye
“I think we’re in this swing now where lots of people are saying, ‘I don’t give a s—.’ Unfortunately, we’ve become so terrified of the human body that we can’t even look at my two little cute nipples behind fabric in a way that isn’t sexual. We need to keep reminding everybody that there is more than one reason for women’s bodies [to exist].”
Shortly after she wore her pink gown, Pughaddressed the reaction it drew on Instagram— and said that while she knew there would be commentary on the dress, she found it “interesting to watch and witness just how easy it is for men to totally destroy a woman’s body, publicly, proudly, for everyone to see.”
“Thankfully, I’ve come to terms with the intricacies of my body that make me, me. I’m happy with all of the ‘flaws’ that I couldn’t bear to look at when I was 14,” she wrote on Instagram.
Florence Pugh in ELLE UK.ELLE UK / Danny Kasirye
During her chat withElleUK, theMidsommarstar also opened up about how her confidence has grown over the years, especially when it comes to appearing on red carpets.
“When I first started doing red carpets, it was really tough,” she toldElleUK. “It takes ages to feel comfortable with 50 men all shouting, ‘Picture, over here!’ "
“I’ve become more confident in the last few years,” she added. “I think that’s hugely linked to the clothes I’ve been wearing. The more you can enjoy it, the more [people] can see that you’re enjoying it.”
For theLondon premiereofOppenheimerlast month — Pugh’s last before theSAG-AFTRA strike— she donned a copper-orange cutout dress and showed off a new hair color, having dyed her now grown-out buzz cut an orangey blonde.
source: people.com
