10 Best Actors Working Today

2. Florence Pugh

Joker Joaquin Phoenix
A24

In a screen acting career that has only spanned six years, Florence Pugh has proven that she's a name ciinemagoers can look forward to be seeing for hopefully a long time to come.

Gaining attention for early roles in mystery series The Falling alongside the likes of Lady Macbeth, Outlaw King, and Malevolant, the Oscar-nominated actor finally broke through to the mainstream last year with upbeat comedy Fighting With My Family where she portrayed modern WWE icon Paige.

Just a few months later, however, Pugh shifted gears dramatically to star in Ari Aster's sensory-shattering 'apocalyptic breakup movie' Midsommar. Experiencing the twisted events of a rural community's summer festivities, Pugh laid everything bare in what was an unflinching, visceral performance. No scream has ever been as affecting as the pained sobs of Pugh's character in this film.

And just when it looked like Pugh had reached her yearly quota of cinematic splendour, she outdid herself once again with her Oscar-nominated performance in Little Women as Amy Marsh.

From comedy, horror, to period drama in a short time, Pugh's success across genres is marker of her brillance.

Pugh is next set to appear in action blockbuster Black Widow alongside Scarlett Johansson this summer.

Contributor
Contributor

Glasgow-based cinephile who earned a Masters degree in film studies to spend their time writing about cinema, video games, and horror.