‘East of Eden’ Star Florence Pugh Trades Gowns for Lace in New Los Angeles Times

A Florence Pugh photoshoot has become a reliable highlight of the ‘East of Eden’ rollout. Over the past few weeks, the actor has appeared in a black-and-white Tudum Magazine cover shoot and a dreamy, mirror-filled series by Emilio Madrid. Each new set of images has kept the conversation around Netflix’s Steinbeck adaptation going.

The timing makes sense. The limited series arrived on Netflix on Oct. 1 with all 7 episodes available at once, adapting John Steinbeck’s 1952 novel about 2 interconnected families from the aftermath of the Civil War to the start of World War I. Zoe Kazan serves as writer and executive producer.

Now a softer chapter has landed. On Oct. 3, several outlets shared images of Pugh photographed by Sophia Spring for The Los Angeles Times. In the first portrait, she poses with 1 hand raised near her face, wearing an intricate cream lace dress with ruffled sleeves and a slim belt at the waist.

Florence Pugh photographed by Sophia Spring for The Los Angeles Times. pic.twitter.com/2fIyfInpqL

— JumpTrailers (@JumpTrailers) October 3, 2026

The second image is an intimate close-up. Her tousled blonde waves frame her face as she looks straight into the camera, with the lace just visible at the bottom of the frame. Set against a muted green backdrop, the photos feel timeless and understated, a clear contrast to the dramatic gowns and sculptural headpieces that have defined much of her recent press.

Spring also photographed Pugh alongside co-stars Mike Faist and Christopher Abbott for the paper, with those images shared on Oct. 1. Abbott plays Adam Trask and Faist plays his brother Charles, while Pugh leads the series as Cathy Ames, the woman who disrupts both of their lives.

Florence Pugh, Mike Faist and Christopher Abbott photographed by Sophia Spring for The Los Angeles Times. pic.twitter.com/uh2o2vtIaH

— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) October 1, 2026

The ensemble around them is stacked. Joseph Zada, Joe Anders, Hoon Lee, Tracy Letts, Martha Plimpton and Ciarán Hinds all appear, and Garth Davis directed the first 4 episodes before Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre took over for the final 3.

Kazan has explained that Charles could not be cast until Adam was in place, since the brothers exist in contrast to each other. Once Abbott landed the role, Faist quickly became the person she wanted most. Pugh, for her part, found Abbott a perfect scene partner and called working opposite him mesmerizing.

florence pugh, mike faist and christopher abbott for the los angeles times pic.twitter.com/JAph8a4dlA

— Best of Florence Pugh (@bestofpugh) October 1, 2026

Pugh was first linked to the project in 2022, so the road to this release has been a long one. That history makes the current promotional blitz feel earned rather than routine.

Critics have responded warmly. The Daily Beast’s Nick Schager was among the most enthusiastic, praising the series as an outstanding adaptation anchored by a shrewd, layered and captivating Pugh performance. Gold Derby’s review roundup found similar praise, and tallies put the show in the 80s on Rotten Tomatoes, alongside a 79 rating on Metacritic.

Not everyone is fully sold. Los Angeles Times critic Robert Lloyd was less taken with the series overall, describing its palette as earthbound and dreary and noting that the production values show their economy. Even so, he named Pugh the main reason to watch and singled out Hoon Lee, which makes the paper’s portraits a nicely ironic bit of crossover.

Pugh has been open about why the part mattered. When she first read the script in 2020, she was already thinking about roles that would help her grow, and the project reached her through an email invite from Kazan. As she put it to Netflix’s Tudum, “An element that I’ve come to really appreciate was Zoe inviting me to create this with her.”

Pugh, now 30, also served as an executive producer on the series. She has described herself as fiercely opinionated about her characters and willing to argue in their defense on set. With Cathy, she wanted to understand her so completely that she could defend her in any fight.

In a Collider interview, Pugh said the show gives Cathy’s trauma the weight it deserves, helping audiences understand her actions without excusing them. That fits the team’s broader approach, which was to explore where Cathy’s darkness came from rather than present her as pure evil.

Between the campaign photography and the strong early notices, Pugh’s ‘East of Eden’ moment shows no sign of slowing down. The lace-clad Los Angeles Times portraits are just the latest proof that the series, and its lead, remain the center of attention.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!