Florence Pugh Was ‘Fearless’ and ‘Committed’ to Shaving Her Head forWe Live in Time, Says Director (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Florence Pugh on Sept. 6, 2024; Pugh in a ‘We Live In Time’ scene.Photo:Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty; A24

Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty; A24

Florence Pugh’s preparation forWe Live in Timedemonstrated her commitment to the role, according to director John Crowley.

Crowley, 55, exclusively told PEOPLE before theToronto International Film Festivalpremiere of their film on Friday, Sept. 6, that he was “stunned“ Pugh, 28, shaved her head for her role as Almut, who is diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer at one point inWe Live in Time.

The director admits he had considered options for how to give Pugh a shaved head look — but theMidsommaractress had a different idea.

Florence Pugh at TIFF on Sept. 6, 2024.Robin Marchant/Getty

Robin Marchant/Getty

“I did not make an argument for her to not do that. I was stunned because I knew she was going to go off and do a Marvel movie and we slotted right into a window because her Marvel movie just shunted back a little bit,” he says, referring toPugh’s role as Yelena Belovathe MCU.

“So she’s fearless, Florence, and really committed,” he adds.

Crowley also spoke about the chemistry betweenPugh and herWe Live in Timecostar,Andrew Garfield, saying it can be “a tricky thing to pin down.”

‘We Live in Time’ movie poster.A24

A24

“They didn’t know each other, they’re quite different kinds of actors, but on day two of rehearsals, I began to see flashes of lightning in a bottle, as it were, and it began to get very exciting,” he remembers.

“And I think what it was was that they would just fall into each other’s presence,” Crowley continues. “That sounds mystical, but actually it was about the level of connection between the two of them.”

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Joe Naftalin, Guy Heeley, Andrew Garfield, Florence Pugh, John Crowley, Leah Clarke, Adam Ackland and Ron Halpern at the ‘We Live in Time’ premiere on Sept. 6, 2024.Emma McIntyre/Getty

Emma McIntyre/Getty

We Live in Timepremieres in U.S. theaters on Oct. 11.

source: people.com