Florence Pugh sets a clear on-set boundary: “Don’t be a misogynist”

Florence Pugh isn’t shy about the ground rules she brings to work. After years on big movies and prestige TV, she says the vibe of a set rises or falls with basic behavior — especially how people treat the crew. One bad attitude can sour the day for everyone, and she’s done accommodating it.

• No lateness
• No rudeness — especially toward the crew
• No misogyny

As she put it in a recent interview with Elle:

“It’s just about surrounding yourself with professionals who have the same way of working in mind. Show up on time, don’t be rude, don’t be a misogynist.”

Pugh said each project has made her more confident about protecting herself and others on set. And while plenty of stars bury demands in rider clauses, she prefers to say her expectations out loud so there’s no confusion about the culture she wants to build.

Speaking up off set

Her no-nonsense stance extends beyond work. Pugh recently used her platform to call out the so-called Cornell 7 — the online moniker for seven male students accused of attacking a classmate at Cornell University in October 2024, according to reports at the time. In the same Elle interview, she said Instagram initially removed some of her posts, and that attempts to quiet her only made her more determined to speak up.

Why Dune mattered

Pugh also gave credit where she thinks it’s due for getting audiences back into theaters. She told The New York Times that Dune: Part Two felt like a full-on event and described Denis Villeneuve ’s saga as her generation’s answer to Star Wars — the kind of big-screen experience people plan a night around.

The numbers back it up: the first Dune took in $411 million worldwide in 2021, while Dune: Part Two crossed $700 million and finished as the No. 7 film of 2024 globally.

Next up, Pugh is set to return to Arrakis in Dune: Part Three and continues a busy slate that includes Netflix ’s East of Eden.