Florence Pugh says she no longer tolerates rude or misogynistic behavior on film sets, and that she has grown more confident in leading a production and protecting herself. The Oscar-nominated actor, 30, made the remarks in an interview with Elle for its December 2026/January 2027 issue, published Tuesday. Experience has made her bolder, she said, and she will not allow bad attitudes or rudeness toward crew members. When someone sours the atmosphere, she noted, everyone feels it, and she wants no part of a messy set.
She boiled her standard down to a short rule for colleagues: “Show up on time, don’t be rude, don’t be a misogynist.” Pugh said she now seeks out professionals who share that approach to work. The interview arrives during a busy stretch. Pugh’s performance in Netflix’s “East of Eden” has drawn praise, and she appears in two blockbusters on Dec. 18, Marvel’s “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Dune: Part Three.”
Elle also asked about the stand that drew the most attention this year. Pugh publicly condemned the so-called Cornell 7, the name used online for seven male students accused of drugging and gang raping a female classmate at Cornell University in October 2024.
A civil case was filed in August, and the district attorney has said the criminal investigation is reopening. Pugh said she spoke out because she cares about women she knows and women she does not, and because treating such stories as normal would move society toward accepting abuse and rape as routine. She also criticized Meta for what she described as censorship of her Instagram post about the case, and said no one silences her.
The allegations remain unproven, and the accused students have not been convicted. I found no response from them or from Meta to her comments. Pugh has spoken before about set culture. Last year, she told “The Louis Theroux Podcast” that she has had excellent experiences with intimacy coordinators, while some others made scenes awkward and unhelpful. Her new remarks extend that thread from specific safeguards to a general code of conduct.
