Florence Pugh says she shaved her head because she wanted to take ‘vanity out of the picture’

Pugh debuted buzzed hairstyle at 2023 Met Gala

Florence Pugh has revealed why she decided to buzz her hair, with the actor revealing that she chose the hairstyle because she wanted to take “vanity out of the picture”.

The Oppenheimer star, 27, who first debuted the short hairstyle on the red carpet of the 2023 Met Gala in May, discussed the reasons why she wanted the hairdo during an interview with the Radio Times.

“I purposefully chose to look like that. I wanted vanity out of the picture,” Pugh said, according to the DailyMail. “Hollywood is very glamorous - especially for women - and it’s hard for an audience to see past that. Whenever I’ve not needed to be glam or have a full face of makeup, I fight to keep it that way. It helps the audience.”

“Vanity is gone,” Pugh continued. “The only thing that people can look at then is your raw face.”

According to Pugh, this is not the first time that she has fought to “control [her] image,” as she told the outlet that it has been her focus since the beginning of her acting career.

“Even at the beginning of my career, I was always fighting to control my image,” she said.

In addition to her hair, Pugh said she also considers how makeup will impact her ability to connect with audiences, with the Midsommar star revealing that she prefers minimal makeup because it makes her “less of a sparkly thing on screen”.

“It helps me when I’m wearing less makeup because then I’m less of a sparkly thing on screen. I feel like I’m allowed to do ugly faces, like it’s more acceptable,” she said.

While debuting the buzzed hairstyle at the Met Gala, Pugh told reporters that she’d shaved her head for her role in the upcoming film, We Live In Time, and that she’d “happily” agreed to the hairdo.

As for her decision to unveil the hairstyle at the Met Gala, Pugh said: “And I thought, what is a better way than to release it at The Met with Pier Paolo,” referring to her date to the event, Valentino’s creative director Pier Paolo Piccioli.

(AFP via Getty Images)

(Getty Images for Universal Pictu)

(Getty Images for Universal Pictu)

Since debuting the look in May, Pugh has styled the short hairstyle for a number of red carpet appearances. For one Oppenheimer photocall in London last week, the actress’s hair was dyed a light pink colour, while Pugh later debuted a copper-coloured hairstyle on the red carpet.