Florence Pugh is the quiet quitting icon we all need

Star Florence Pugh has become an icon of the ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ movie saga and there’s an obvious reason why.

OPINION

Florence Pugh has become the girl boss of quiet quitting. During the promotion of her latest film, Don’t Worry Darling, it has become clear that Pugh has announced her boundaries, and she’s sticking to them.

Quiet quitting is the phenomenon of still doing your job but doing it a whole lot less. Basically, not overworking yourself and Pugh is defiantly not overworking herself.

Instead, she is making headlines for not promoting the film. She’s literally doing the least she can do, and it’s the quiet quitting moment none of us knew we needed.

Not only is Pugh not doing any press conferences for the film, but she has also turned up to launch the film at Venice Film Festival only for the red carpet and the film’s screening.

She didn’t do a single formal interview or join the rest of the cast on any panels. Even during a standing ovation, she sauntered off before the clapping stopped.

Florence Pugh, quiet quitting icon

— mattie kahn (@mattiekahn) September 5, 2022

Pugh’s actions are screaming that I am not doing more than the bare minimum, and it is a bit of a vibe. But how did this happen? What has made Pugh decide to switch off?

Usually, actors are desperate to promote their films. I don’t think it is because she’s found the quiet quitting side of TikTok. I think Pugh has checked out because she’s angry and upset and she’s chosen herself over her job. Yes, Queen! Which honestly is the kind of example we should see more of.

Obviously, there’s a ton of drama surrounding the film. So, no, I don’t think Pugh is quietly quitting because there’s footage where it looks like Harry Styles spit on Chris Pine or because when Styles was asked what he liked about the movie, he replied, “It feels like a movie.”

someone needs to begin a full fledged investigation into what happened on that don’t worry darling set… wdym harry styles spitting on chris pine on NATIONAL TELEVISION? pic.twitter.com/jpow9JT8pk

— ceo of kory (@korysverse) September 6, 2022

No, Pugh had already quietly quit before all that nonsense. Instead, it seems like Pugh has taken a step back from work obligations because she’s not happy with the director’s version of events. Yes, Olivia Wilde is in Pugh’s bad books, and she’s refusing to work herself to the extreme to benefit Wilde at all. She’s sticking it to her boss.

So, what happened? Well, Wilde recently sat down with Vanity Fair and explained she replaced Shia LaBeouf with Harry Styles because, “I knew that I was going to be asking Florence to be in very vulnerable situations, and my priority was making her feel safe and making her feel supported.”

OK, a very cool move. However, LaBeouf denied those claims and explained he actually quit. He also provided a video Wilde sent him where she was begging for him to stay in the film and even said, “You know, I think this might be a bit of a wake-up call for Miss Flo.

“If she really commits, if she really puts her mind and heart into it at this point and if you guys can make peace.”

The two versions of the event don’t add up, and it seems like Wilde threw Pugh under the bus. Please keep in mind that LaBeouf is currently at the centre of a domestic violence case lodged against him by FKA Twigs and has a well-documented history of substance abuse issues. So, it would make sense that Pugh may not have felt comfortable working with him.

Nick Kroll, Florence Pugh, Chris Pine, Olivia Wilde, Sydney Chandler, Harry Styles and Gemma Chan attend the screening of Don’t Worry Darling. Picture: Matrix Pictures

Pugh has avoided all media conferences and hasn’t been posting about the movie on her social media accounts. Picture: John Phillips/Getty Images

If that wasn’t bad enough, the trailer for the film is very steamy, and Pugh’s featured in some pretty revealing sex scenes.

Wilde has been yammering on about how she loves the sex scenes in the movie, and they are very empowering.

Harry Styles and Florence Pugh in a sexy trailer for Don’t Worry Darling. Picture: YouTube.

However, Pugh discussed the hype around the sex scenes with Harper’s Bazaar in August and said: “When it’s reduced to your sex scenes, or to watch the most famous man in the world go down on someone, it’s not why we do it. It’s not why I’m in this industry.”

If that wasn’t enough to explain why Pugh isn’t exactly hyping her own movie up, there are also rumours that Pugh is close friends with Wilde’s ex Jason Sudeikis. Wilde and he share two children, but the rumours are Wilde hooked up with Styles on set while she and Sudeikis were potentially still together.

So, what has Pugh’s reaction been to all of this? Well, to mentally check out and honestly, who can blame her? The workplace Wilde created sounds toxic as hell, so Pugh has chosen her happiness and mental health over the movie and has quietly quit.

Mary Madigan is a freelance writer.