Florence Pugh Says Her Film Sets Now Come With a No-Nonsense Rule

Few actors have had a year quite like Florence Pugh’s. Netflix’s adaptation of John Steinbeck’s classic novel ‘East of Eden’ landed on the streamer on Oct. 1, with Pugh starring as antihero Cathy Ames and co-producing the limited series.

The seven-part drama has been a hit with both critics and viewers. The series earned a wave of four-star reviews, and The Independent called Pugh’s turn as Cathy “magnificent.” Fans have been just as enthusiastic, with some binge-watching the whole thing in a single day.

That kind of momentum tends to bring a lot of attention, and Pugh is now using the spotlight to talk about something that usually stays behind the scenes. In a new interview, the actress made it clear that bad behavior on a film set is something she is done tolerating. As Culture Crave put it on X, Pugh says she’s “no longer standing for bullshit behavior” on set.

The remarks come from the December 2026/January 2027 issue of ELLE magazine. Her message was simple and direct: “Show up on time, don’t be rude, don’t be a misogynist.” She went on to explain that the more films she makes, the more sure she becomes of how to run things: “Every time I work on a movie, I get more confident in the way that I can protect myself and the way that I can lead a film set, and just not stand for bullshit anymore.”

She did not stop there. Pugh added that she will not allow anyone to be rude to the crew, saying, “You just get bolder and bigger and more confident with time, and you want to be around and work with the right people.” Her closing thought was blunt: “And the moment someone is making that vibe feel off, everybody feels it. I don’t want to deal with messy.”

Notably, Pugh did not name any names or point to any past projects. The comments read less like a callout and more like a personal policy. It is worth remembering that Pugh is also an executive producer on ‘East of Eden’, so she has a real say in how her sets are run.

The ELLE conversation also touched on topics beyond the film set. Pugh recently claimed her social media comments about a Cornell student’s alleged assault were censored by Instagram. She told the magazine she felt she had to speak out, explaining it was “because I’m a woman who cares about women,” according to ELLE.

Speaking up is nothing new for her. Pugh has also used her platform to discuss female beauty standards in Hollywood and the ongoing situation in Palestine. Her latest comments fit neatly into that pattern of saying what she thinks without much hesitation.

The timing is also interesting. Pugh is about to appear in both ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and ‘Dune: Part Three’, two of the biggest productions in Hollywood. Sets that large involve hundreds of crew members, which makes a clear stance on respect more meaningful.

For fans, the takeaway is refreshing. An actress at the top of her game is saying that professionalism is not up for debate, and that a healthy set makes for better work. If ‘East of Eden’ is any indication, her approach seems to be paying off.