Kazan's singular vision for Cathy Ames
When Zoe Kazan adapted John Steinbeck's 'East of Eden' into a seven-episode Netflix limited series, she had only one actress in mind for Cathy Ames: Florence Pugh. Kazan said she had no backup and believed Pugh was the exact right person for the role. She explained that Pugh embodied the mix of femininity and inner steel that Steinbeck described in the novel, and that Pugh's performance in 2019's 'Midsommar' announced a generational talent.[S1]
Kazan sought to center Cathy's perspective and explore the motivations of the complicated antihero. Pugh, who was brought on in 2020, also serves as an executive producer, taking a central role in shaping the series. Pugh said she felt honored when Kazan approached her and could not believe Kazan wanted to cast her.[S1]
A confidence boost behind the camera
According to Pugh, taking on the executive producer role and helping steer the adaptation gave her a real confidence boost. She recalled that Kazan actively wanted her involved in the process and wanted the two of them to build it together, which she called huge. Pugh saw it as a chance to step up and lead differently at that stage of her career and life, noting that such experiences mark the start of genuine self-assurance. She also said the project has been deeply meaningful to her.[S1]
In an Instagram post, Pugh wrote that Kazan poured her heart and soul into the project and that she would not have been able to do any of it without her. Pugh called Kazan her protector, work wife, cheerleader, and confidence, and said Kazan created something so epic that everyone wanted to work on it.[S1]
Critical acclaim for Pugh's performance
The limited series has drawn glowing notices, holding an 85 percent freshness score on Rotten Tomatoes, and Pugh's work in particular has earned praise. THR chief TV critic Dan Fienberg wrote in his review that Pugh attacks one of fiction's most great and baffling villains, a woman whose resolve and wickedness make Becky Sharp of Vanity Fair seem like a Girl Scout. He observed that casting Pugh as someone reluctant to disclose her truth shifts the burden onto those around her who cannot see what the audience does. Fienberg added that Cathy frightens when she lies but frightens more when she speaks honestly, in a way that is distinctly Pugh-ian, and that the performance holds even once Cathy ages beyond where Pugh remains believable.[S1]
Esquire called Pugh's performance a career best, while USA Today said she makes the show a must-see. The series premiered in New York on Wednesday night, where Kazan and Pugh discussed the project.[S1]
