Florence Pugh described experiencing six months of depression following her role in Ari Aster’s 2019 film Midsommar, a Swedish-set occult thriller known for its disturbing and intense narrative. The psychological weight of playing a grief-stricken protagonist navigating a horrific cult ordeal left a profound mark on Pugh’s mental health, which she revealed during an interview on The Louis Theroux Podcast. Her account provides insight into the toll that immersive acting in emotionally harrowing roles can take on performers.
Delving into the Darkness: The Psychological Toll of the Role
The film’s unsettling tone, characterized by a grim flashback and escalating dangers faced by the characters, particularly affected Pugh. She explained on the podcast how embodying such deep grief pushed her to her limits.
“I just can’t exhaust myself like that because it has a knock-on effect,”
Pugh said about the intense demands of her acting work. She then reflected on the lingering sadness after filming, adding,
“I think [‘Midsommar’] made me sad for like six months after, and I didn’t know why I was depressed. I got back after shooting ‘Little Women,’ which was such a fun experience and obviously a completely different tone from ‘Midsommar,’ so I think [I] 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.”
Immersing in Grief to Portray Trauma
Playing a character grappling with immense loss required Pugh to envision scenarios of extreme grief, which intensified over the course of filming. She revealed the progression of her mental preparations: starting with imagining hearing about a sibling’s death, then picturing coffins, and ultimately attending a real family funeral during production.
“I had never seen that level of grief or mental health in the way that was being asked of me on the page. 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,”
she explained.
The Aftermath and Lessons Learned From the Experience
Pugh acknowledged that the emotional strain from such intense preparation took a serious toll. Speaking candidly, she stated,
“And it was like, okay, 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***ed me up.”
This admission highlights the risk actors face in immersing themselves too deeply in traumatic roles without adequate mental health support.
Additional Reflections and Unexplored Topics
Aside from her experience with Midsommar, Florence Pugh briefly referenced her involvement in the 2018 film Malevolent, directed by Olaf de Fleur, expressing reluctance about participating but choosing not to expand on the reasons. This leaves some curiosity about her personal reflections or challenges related to that project, perhaps to be discussed at a later time.
Understanding the Significance of Pugh’s Revelations
Florence Pugh’s candid confession about battling prolonged depression after filming Midsommar sheds light on the often overlooked psychological cost of intense acting roles, especially when portraying trauma and grief. Her experience underscores the importance of mental health awareness and self-care in the entertainment industry. With Pugh now more cautious about pushing herself to such extremes, her story may encourage other actors and filmmakers to prioritize emotional well-being during demanding productions. Moving forward, these insights could influence how studios and creatives approach the mental demands of challenging roles and the support systems offered to performers.
