Florence Pugh Says She Shaved Her Head to Take \201cVanity Out of the Picture\201d
\201cI purposefully chose to look like that.\201d


It has been over two months since actress Florence Pugh debuted a dramatically different hairstyle at the Met Gala in May—and, per People, she is opening up about why she chose to don the buzzed-cut look.
“I purposefully chose to look like that,” she told Radio Times in an interview, per The Daily Mail. “I wanted vanity out of the picture.”
Pugh is in this week’s new release Oppenheimer—which hits theaters Friday—and said she wanted audiences to see past the glitz and glamour of Hollywood: “Hollywood is very glamorous—especially for women—and it’s hard for an audience to see past that,” she said. “Whenever I’ve not needed to be glam or have a full face of makeup, I fight to keep it that way. It helps the audience.”
She continued “Vanity is gone. The only thing that people can look at then is your raw face.”
Pugh has been in the business since she was a teenager, appearing in films like Little Women, Don’t Worry Darling, and is now promoting Oppenheimer, which she stars in alongside Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, and Robert Downey Jr., playing Jean Tatlock, the love interest of the titular character J. Robert Oppenheimer, played by Cillian Murphy. “Even at the beginning of my career, I was always fighting to control my image,” Pugh said. “It helps me when I’m wearing less makeup because then I’m less of a sparkly thing onscreen. I feel like I’m allowed to do ugly faces—like it’s more acceptable.”
While on the press circuit for Oppenheimer, Pugh appeared on the red carpet for the movie’s U.K. premiere in London last week sporting short hair, which has grown out from the initial buzzcut that she debuted at the Met Gala, People reports. “The actress continued to express herself by changing her hair color from a soft pink to a fiery orange,” the outlet writes.
Of the film, Pugh told Radio Times “It’s one of the biggest movies I’ve made. Chris’ approach is similar to indie movie-making,” she said, referring to director Christopher Nolan. “It reminded me of the early days when I was used to a fast-paced way of working—where, if you lost a scene from the day, you would lose it from the movie. When I walked on set, I couldn’t believe there was that similar, incredible adrenaline, which I hadn’t felt on a massive movie for a long time. It’s a wonderful thing to inject into a film set—believing in yourself and what you’re making.”
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.
-
Trade Your Multi-Step Lip Care Routine for One Do-it-All Gloss
Hydration, pigment, and longevity.
By Siena Gagliano Published
-
I’m Wearing These On-Sale Summer Tops With Everything This Summer
From denim to skirts, these under-$150 finds work with everything.
By Brooke Knappenberger Published
-
My Afro and I Have a Summer Muse—and Her Name Is Kerry Washington
My curls understand the assignment.
By Ariel Baker Published
-
How a "Liberated" Princess Diana Shocked John Galliano By Secretly Altering Her 1996 Met Gala Dress
The designer revealed the story in the Hulu documentary 'In Vogue: The 90s.'
By Kristin Contino Published
-
Sabrina Carpenter Wore a Peppa Pig Band-Aid to the Met Gala After-Party, And Fans Can't Get Over It
Neither can I.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Turns Out Kim Kardashian’s Gray Cardigan from the Met Gala Has Its Own Elaborate Backstory
If you thought the sweater looked haphazardly placed—that was apparently the whole point.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Katy Perry Posts AI Pics From the Met Gala That Fooled Her Mom Into Thinking She Was There
Spoiler alert: She wasn't.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Sabrina Carpenter and Barry Keoghan Quietly Made Their Red Carpet Debut as a Couple at the Met Gala
After Carpenter showed off her Oscar de la Renta gown solo, she met up with Keoghan on the famed steps of the museum.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Jennifer Lopez Teases She’ll \201cBarely\201d Be Able to Walk In Her Met Gala Ensemble Tonight
Lopez, who is co-chairing tonight’s gala, said of the event that the \201clooks are not about comfort.\201d
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Six Years Ago, Princess Beatrice Became Only the Second Member of the British Royal Family to Ever Attend the Met Gala
Her appearance was less than two weeks before Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal wedding.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Princess Diana Only Attended One Met Gala and Was, Unsurprisingly, the \201cBelle of the Ball\201d
Her \201celegant, but revealing\201d John Galliano for Dior silk slip dress, worn to the event in 1996, is loaded with symbolism—and almost didn’t happen.
By Rachel Burchfield Published