Florence Pugh Has a Simple 3-Part Rule for Anyone Working on Her Sets

Few actors have moved as comfortably between franchise blockbusters and prestige literary adaptations as Florence Pugh. She is widely regarded as one of the most successful and acclaimed actors working today, and she is currently earning stellar reviews for Zoe Kazan’s Netflix adaptation of John Steinbeck’s ‘East of Eden’. In that series, she steps into the skin of Cathy Ames, one of Steinbeck’s famously complicated characters.

The momentum is not slowing down. Pugh is about to appear in both ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and ‘Dune: Part Three’. She has also been attached to ‘The Midnight Library’, which reportedly landed a $36 million deal with Paramount.

Pugh has never been shy about using her platform, either. She famously took on body shamers in an eloquent Instagram post in 2022. She has also spoken out on female beauty standards in Hollywood and on the war in Gaza. So it was hardly a shock when her latest interview turned to a more behind-the-scenes subject: how she wants a film set to feel.

In an interview for the December 2026/January 2027 issue of ELLE magazine, the British actress reflected on what she has learned over the course of her career. Culture Crave’s X post spotlighting the interview sent her comments circulating, and the headline is a blunt one. Pugh says she will no longer tolerate “messy” or “rude” behavior on TV and film sets.

Her rule of thumb is refreshingly simple. She describes the ideal crew as professionals who share the same approach: “Show up on time, don’t be rude, don’t be a misogynist.” It is a short checklist, but she makes clear that she means every word of it.

Pugh explained that she has realized she needs to better protect herself in the entertainment industry. She said that with every movie she grows more confident in how she can protect herself and lead a set, and she added that she will not allow people to be rude to the crew. The way she tells it, that confidence comes with experience. She says you get bolder over time and want to work with the right people.

She also described how quickly a bad atmosphere spreads, saying that once someone throws the vibe off, everybody feels it. “I don’t want to deal with messy,” she said. Pugh did not name any names or past projects in the interview.

That restraint matters. Without a specific target, the comments read less like a callout and more like a personal code of conduct, one that applies to everyone from top-billed co-stars to the newest crew member. As Pajiba noted, personalities can still clash on any set, but setting a baseline makes sense and protects everyone, not just Pugh.

The timing also stands out because of her recent offscreen advocacy. Pugh claimed that Instagram censored her social media comments condemning the culture of toxic masculinity behind an alleged assault case involving a Cornell student. TMZ reported that she addressed the controversy in the same ELLE interview. Taken together, the two threads paint a consistent picture of an actor who is comfortable drawing lines, both online and on the call sheet.

With ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and ‘Dune: Part Three’ on the horizon, those sets will be large, busy, and full of moving parts. If Pugh’s approach holds, anyone who joins them will know the ground rules before the cameras roll. For a star at this point in her career, a “no messy” policy might be one of the more practical forms of leadership in Hollywood.