Florence Pugh is opening up about shaving her head for her latest movie role.
Sitting down with British Vogue for its October 2024 issue, the actress, 28, spoke about the choice to cut her hair on screen for her latest movie, “We Live in Time,” in which she plays a chef who receives a shocking medical diagnosis.
“In many religions, hair is the most precious thing on the body — it’s where you store your memories and your dreams and your history,” she told the publication.
“[Shaving] it was really bizarre. My head was so sensitive and so many people were trying to touch it and it was so alive.”
The experience also triggered a lot of feelings for Pugh.
“My body went into a bit of trauma from it,” she admitted. “I was cold all the time.”
After originally debuting the buzzcut at the 2023 Met Gala, Pugh added that she’s glad to finally be talking about it.
“For any actor taking a role like this, it is completely important that you see her head and we see her shaving it — it was just always a no-brainer,” she said. “You have the honor of doing something to yourself that is totally in support of the character.”
It was also a unique experience for the actress’s co-star and love interest in the film, Andrew Garfield, who was tasked with maneuvering the razor during the monumental scene.
“It was a privilege to be given that job,” he told British Vogue, although, he pointed out, it was a bit nerve-wracking chopping off the hair of a famous actress.
“What if I somehow destroyed the head of one of the best actors of her generation? It was terrifying, but ultimately it was a very beautiful, intimate scene to shoot and thank God she has such a nicely shaped melon.”
The “Midsommer” star, who has become known for rocking elaborate, sheer designs on the red carpet, also took a moment to touch on the criticism she’s received about her body over the course of her career.
“It’s so hard,” she said.
“[The internet’s] a very mean place. It’s really painful to read people being nasty about my confidence or nasty about my weight. It never feels good. The one thing I always wanted to achieve was to never sell someone else, something that isn’t the real me.”
While “We Live in Time” recently debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival, it’s set to hit theaters on October 11.
