Florence Pugh, the acclaimed actress known for her roles in “Little Women” and “Black Widow,” recently spoke candidly about the long-lasting emotional impact of portraying Dani in the A24 folk horror film Midsommar. During a recent appearance on The Louis Theroux Podcast, Pugh revealed that filming the movie caused her to experience depression for about six months after production ended, sharing her struggles with the intense mental state required for the role. This troubling experience highlights the challenges actors face when immersing themselves in deeply traumatic characters.
Immersing in Grief and Trauma for the Role
In Midsommar, Pugh’s character, Dani, suffers a devastating personal loss early in the story and grapples with overwhelming grief while on a disturbing trip to Sweden with her toxic boyfriend, Christian, played by Jack Reynor. The increasingly sinister events of their journey push Dani into dark and traumatic psychological territory. To authentically portray this emotional complexity, Pugh said she had to fully embrace a painful mental space.
She explained the process she followed to get into Dani’s mindset, admitting it was unlike anything she had experienced before.
“I had never seen that level of grief or mental health in the way that was being asked of me on the page,”
she told the podcast host.
“So for that, I really put myself through it. At the beginning, I just imagined hearing the news that one of my siblings had died, and then towards the middle of the shoot it was like, ‘Oh no, I actually needed to imagine the coffins.’ And then towards the end of the shoot, I actually was going to my whole family’s funeral.”
This immersive approach took a significant emotional toll, as Pugh needed not only to cry but to express deep pain vocally as well. She admitted,
“It wasn’t just crying. I needed to sound pained,”
and reflected on how difficult the process was, saying,
“I’d never done anything like that before and I was like, ‘OK, well here’s my opportunity. I need to give this a go.’ And I would just basically put myself through hell. But I don’t do that anymore. It really f–ked me up.”
Consequences of the Role and Personal Reflections
After finishing Midsommar, Pugh says she experienced a deep depression she did not initially understand. She contrasted this with her previous work on Little Women, a much lighter and more joyful project, explaining that the sadness hit her in full force once filming was complete.
“I got back after shooting Little Women, which was such a fun experience and obviously a completely different tone from Midsommar, so I think shelved all of that. And then when I got home for Christmas, I was so depressed and I was like, ‘Oh, I think that’s from Midsommar,’ and I didn’t deal with it and I probably shouldn’t do that again.”
She acknowledged the physical and emotional abuse she subjected herself to in pursuit of an authentic performance. Many critics and fans regard her work in Midsommar as award-worthy, with some believing she deserved an Oscar nomination for her haunting portrayal of Dani. Despite the acclaim, Pugh described the experience as unsettling:
“It was very, very strange and I’ve never ever been worried about my characters from the day that I finish. But [Dani] was the one that I felt like I’d left her in that field with the film crew just filming her cry.”
Broader Impact and What Lies Ahead
Florence Pugh’s openness about the intense psychological strain she endured sheds light on the emotional sacrifices actors can make when embodying challenging roles. Her candid reflections imply a need for greater awareness and support in the industry regarding mental health, especially for those who immerse themselves in traumatic characters. Moving forward, Pugh indicated she would avoid such extreme emotional exhaustion, signaling a more cautious approach to future performances.
