Florence Pugh Reveals One Peculiar Spending Habit She Follows for Every Character She Plays

Published 09/29/2026, 2:10 AM CDT

October 28, 2019, Hollywood, CA, USA: Florence Pugh stars in the movie Little Women Hollywood USA - ZUMAg203 20191028_zap_g203_033

Florence Pugh has a rather unusual tradition that she follows before playing any character on screen. Now, every actor has their own unique way of understanding a character before portraying them, and Pugh is no different. Whether she is playing an emotional and intense MCU character like Yelena Belova or a layered character like Katherine in Lady Macbeth, Pugh has never forgotten this one rule when preparing for her roles.

Before playing each character, she takes time to buy one particular thing that she considers crucial to understanding the character.

Florence Pugh reveals unique aspect of her creative process

Florence Pugh recently revealed in a conversation with Elle that she always buys a perfume for each of her characters before playing them on screen. As she revealed, each character has a distinct scent, and Pugh considers the fragrance the final step in getting into the shoes of the character she plays. She carefully handpicks each perfume herself, using the scent as a way to fully connect with and understand the character.

"It's really important locating who that woman [the character] is, and what she smells like. It could be scents that I would never buy for myself and but when I'm that character, it makes so much sense,” she said.

via Imago

Pugh’s unique tradition is hardly surprising, considering how meticulous the actress is about her work ethic. She uses the perfume after putting on her character’s costume, as she revealed in a recent interview with Elle following her appointment as the new face of Max Mara’s fragrance, Le Parfum. During the interview, she also spoke about her favorite and most comforting scents, which include the smell of cooking as well as her love for jasmine and oud candles.

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While speaking of her unique approach of using perfumes for different characters, she shared a few words about the perfume she used for her character, Amy March, too.

Florence Pugh talks about the fragrance for Amy March

Much like every character, Florence Pugh revealed that she also created a personal perfume for her character, Amy March, in Little Women. Amy March is an ambitious and fierce character, and this time, Pugh’s mother helped her find the fragrance. Pugh shared that, when preparing for her period-drama characters, her mother always does extensive research. 

“She made a unique smell for me that was perfect for older Amy, because it was really sophisticated and floral and beautiful, and it just made me love Amy even more,” she told Elle. 

via Imago

Her mother looked into the scents the character might have encountered, including what they could have purchased and the materials that would have been available to them. For Amy, the fragrance was inspired by her lifestyle and even had references to the minerals she might have used while painting. This approach to creating Amy March’s perfume gives a glimpse into how Pugh may have found fragrances for her other characters as well.

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What do you think about Florence Pugh's unique tradition for her characters? Let us know in the comments.

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Pritha Debroy

1284 articles

Pritha Debroy is an Entertainment writer at NetflixJunkie who can seamlessly switch between breaking down an NBA play and obsessing over the latest K-drama twist. She has written over 3,400 NBA and NFL articles, but her true joy lies in diving into Netflix’s trendiest shows—unpacking themes, stories, and yes, the occasional celebrity chaos. When she is not writing, you’ll find her devouring thrillers (anything by Freida McFadden is an instant yes), revisiting comfort classics like 10 Things I Hate About You and 27 Dresses, or hunting for her next binge-worthy series.

Edited By: Itti Mahajan

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