Florence Pugh Reveals Midsommar Left Her in Months of Depression

Florence Pugh’s intense portrayal of Dani in the film Midsommar has been widely recognized for its raw depiction of grief. Speaking on The Louis Theroux Podcast, Pugh revealed that embodying such powerful emotions took an unexpectedly heavy toll on her mental health, leading to months of depression after filming. The movie, directed by Ari Aster, follows Dani as she endures devastating family trauma involving murder and suicide, with Pugh noting how utterly unlike anything she had experienced the role was.

How Pugh Immersed Herself in the Role’s Trauma

Pugh described how the character’s fragile mental state required her to tap into feelings she had never confronted before. She said,

“The character is in such a horrible state in her life and she’s constantly on the brink of a panic attack,”

emphasizing her own lack of similar experiences. To prepare, she admitted to pushing herself deeply into the pain of loss.

“So for that, I’d really put myself through it,”

Pugh explained. She imagined hearing news of a sibling’s death, then pictured coffins as filming continued, and by the end, said she felt as if she was attending her entire family’s funeral. This immersive approach resulted in what she called putting herself through hell.

The Lingering Impact of Filming on Pugh’s Mental Health

After wrapping Midsommar, Pugh immediately flew to Boston to start filming Greta Gerwig’s Little Women, with only a brief break in between. While leaving Budapest, where Midsommar was shot, she began to cry during the flight, feeling as if she had abandoned her character to deal with the aftermath alone.

“My brain was obviously feeling sympathy for myself, because I’d abused myself and really manipulated my own emotions to get a performance,”

Pugh confessed. She recognized the exhaustion her method acting caused and the extended period of sadness it triggered, saying,

“I just can’t exhaust myself like that because it has a knock-on effect. I think it made me sad for like six months after that.”

Ari Aster’s Unique Directing Process and Critical Praise

Despite the challenges, Pugh has expressed admiration for Ari Aster’s distinct directorial style. In a 2023 New York Times interview, she described him as

“peculiar in the mad genius kind of way.”

Pugh recalled that during filming, Aster conducted therapy-like sessions with her and co-star Jack Reynor, acting as their therapist in character.

“He would do therapy sessions with Jack [Reynor, her co-star] and I in our characters. Ari would be our therapist and would be asking us questions. I find that stuff quite hard,”

she said, acknowledging how demanding the process was.

Critics have also recognized Aster’s impact on psychological horror. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone called him

“a bold new voice in psychological horror, the kind that messes ruthlessly with your head,”

while praising Pugh’s performance for illustrating a character who gains confidence and a troubling strength as the narrative builds toward Dani’s ultimate revenge.

Significance of Pugh’s Experience and What Lies Ahead

Florence Pugh’s candid revelation about the mental strain caused by filming Midsommar sheds light on the emotional challenges actors can face when immersing themselves in psychologically demanding roles. Her experience highlights the potential long-lasting effects of method acting and the importance of awareness around mental health in the industry. Moving forward, Pugh’s openness may encourage conversations about the support actors need during intense projects and the ways directors like Ari Aster push boundaries in storytelling through unique, sometimes difficult, creative processes.