Jingyu Lin—The New York Times/Redux

Florence Pugh carries a lack of vanity that sees her fully and completely inhabit every role she takes on, from the historically maligned Amy March in Little Women to the grieving Dani in Midsommar. We met working on Fighting With My Family, for which she transformed into a WWE star. We wrestled together (in hot pants), cried together (scripted), but mostly, we laughed a lot. She is a wonderful actor, filled with generosity toward her co-stars and curiosity about the human experience. An even bigger audience will soon know her power when Florence stars opposite Scarlett Johansson in the upcoming Marvel film Black Widow. When she’s not onscreen, Flo feels no need to pretend to be someone other than who she is: a fantastic cook and a massive nerd, which I say as a compliment. Also, she sings like a f-cking angel.

Headey is an Emmy Award–nominated actor

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