Los Angeles, October 2, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Hollywood actress Florence Pugh has opened up about her role as Cathy Ames in the limited series adaptation of John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, saying the project helped her broaden her creative horizons and grow as an actor.
The 30-year-old actress said she was already looking for roles that would challenge her and help her develop her craft when she first read the script in 2020.
“When I read the script (in) 2020, I was already thinking about roles that I would want to play in the future and roles that would require for me to grow up, to better my craft, to allow me to expand,” Pugh told Netflix’s Tudum.
The series is written and executive produced by Zoe Kazan, and Pugh said Kazan’s invitation to be part of the project extended beyond acting.
“During that time, this fell in my lap, via an email with an invite from Zoe saying, ‘Can you make this with me? Not only can you act for me, but can you be on this creative journey with me?’” she recalled.
Pugh said being invited to contribute to the project from the ground up gave her greater confidence as a performer and creative professional.
“That was such an invitation, just to allow myself to be bigger and better and (to be) invited into a conversation to create something from the ground up, (it was a) huge confidence boost,” she said.
The actress said the experience combined the opportunity to portray a complex character with the chance to contribute creatively behind the scenes.
“It was all of these elements, it was playing a fantastic character and also showing up for myself as a performer and a creative behind the scenes. That’s why I wanted to do it,” she said.
Pugh added that exploring Cathy’s motivations and the choices that shape her character made the experience both exciting and challenging.
“Then you just start unpicking the layers of Cathy and who she becomes, and why does she become that way? Why does she make these decisions? It was all very, very exciting and daunting, obviously,” she said.
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