Why did Florence Pugh shave her head?

Brit Florence Pugh has been wowing audiences since she had her breakthrough role in the U.K mystery drama film The Falling, and since then she’s put in phenomenal performance after phenomenal performance, and is always a leading light even in films that don’t quite live up to her talent (Don’t Worry Darling, anyone?).

Fans have also been endeared to her is her bold style and unapologetic nature, something that’s often missing in leading women thanks to a sexist, uncompromising industry wearing them down until they’re more pliant. Thankfully, through internationally acclaimed films like Midsommar, Little Women, and Fighting With My Family, Pugh now has the profile to show off her personality with what we hope are fewer repercussions from curmudgeonly industry heads stuck in old ways, and that freedom has manifested in a new haircut.

The real reason Florence Pugh decided to shave her head

At the MET Gala earlier this year, Pugh showed off a new short hair style. At first, many speculated it may be for a new role — after all, actors are constantly shifting their appearance for parts, as Pugh knows firsthand from her recent work with Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer, with the Irish leading man dropping his weight to what some might consider dangerous levels to play the talented physicist. However, as per Vanity Fair, Pugh recently told an interviewer for the U.K-based Radio Times that the reason for the buzz cut was a personal choice:

“I purposely chose to look like that. I wanted vanity out of the picture. Hollywood is very glamorous—especially for women—and it’s hard for an audience to see past that.”

Pugh has (rightfully) been vocal about the subject of how women are treated in Hollywood, especially with regard to their looks and body shape. This has always been a concern she’s held close to her heart, as evidenced by the fact she had a role in the funny yet frustrating British short Leading Lady Parts, which satirized the issues women face when auditioning for roles. In the Radio Times interview, she went into a bit more depth about her reasons for the new hairstyle:

“Vanity is gone. The only thing that people can look at then is your raw face. Even at the beginning of my career, I was always fighting to control my image…It helps me when I’m wearing less makeup because then I’m less of a sparkly thing on screen. I feel like I’m allowed to do ugly faces, like it’s more acceptable.”

Depressingly, this is still somewhat of a radical take in the entertainment industry. However, with stars like Pugh speaking up, we can hope to see female actors being judged on their talent as opposed to other factors in the future, although given how Hollywood is, the shift is unlikely to happen too quickly.