Florence Pugh Says Playing Cathy Ames in Netflix's East of Eden Helped Her Grow as Series Begins Streaming

LOS ANGELES — Florence Pugh says playing one of literature's most notorious antiheroines pushed her to grow as an actor, as Netflix's new limited series adaptation of John Steinbeck's "East of Eden" arrives on the streaming service.

The 30-year-old British actor stars as Cathy Ames in the seven-episode series, which premiered on Netflix on Oct. 1. Written and executive produced by Zoe Kazan, the adaptation brings Steinbeck's sprawling 1952 novel to the screen nearly four years after the project was first announced.

'Roles that would require for me to grow up'

In an interview with Netflix's Tudum, Pugh said she was already thinking about the direction of her career when the project first came to her.

"When I read the script (in) 2020, I was already thinking about roles that I would want to play in the future and roles that would require for me to grow up, to better my craft, to allow me to expand," Pugh said.

She said the invitation came directly from Kazan, who asked her to take on a role both in front of and behind the camera. Pugh is also an executive producer on the series.

"During that time, this fell in my lap, via an email with an invite from Zoe saying, 'Can you make this with me? Not only can you act for me, but can you be on this creative journey with me?'" Pugh said.

"That was such an invitation, just to allow myself to be bigger and better and (to be) invited into a conversation to create something from the ground up, (it was a) huge confidence boost," she added.

Exploring a complex character

Cathy Ames is among the most debated characters in American literature. In Steinbeck's novel, she is a manipulative and destructive figure whose actions have devastating consequences for the Trask family, and readers have long argued over her motivations.

Pugh said the chance to dig into those questions was a major draw.

"It was all of these elements, it was playing a fantastic character and also showing up for myself as a performer and a creative behind the scenes. That's why I wanted to do it," she said. "Then you just start unpicking the layers of Cathy and who she becomes, and why does she become that way? Why does she make these decisions? It was all very, very exciting and daunting, obviously."

Kazan has said her adaptation places more focus on Cathy than previous versions, examining how she became the person she is while staying faithful to Steinbeck's portrayal.

"The thing that was really important to me was to stay rooted in the text of the book when it came to exploring who Cathy is," Kazan told Tudum.

A family connection to the story

The series carries special significance for Kazan, an actor and writer whose grandfather, director Elia Kazan, made the celebrated 1955 film adaptation of "East of Eden." That film, which starred James Dean in his first major screen role, focused largely on the final portion of the novel.

Zoe Kazan's version takes a broader approach, using the limited series format to tell more of Steinbeck's multigenerational story, which follows two families in California's Salinas Valley and draws on themes from the biblical story of Cain and Abel.

Kazan has said she fell in love with the novel as a teenager. She reportedly sought out Pugh for the role after being impressed by her performance in the 2019 horror film "Midsommar."

Cast and production

Christopher Abbott and Mike Faist co-star as brothers Adam and Charles Trask. The cast also includes Tracy Letts, Martha Plimpton, Hoon Lee and Ciarán Hinds, among others.

The series was filmed across multiple locations in New Zealand, standing in for early 20th-century California. It comes from co-studios Fifth Season and Anonymous Content.

Netflix first announced the project in 2022, with Pugh attached to star, and greenlit the series in 2024. The streamer released a trailer and confirmed the release date in early September.

A rising career

The role is the latest in a run of high-profile projects for Pugh, who earned an Academy Award nomination for her performance in Greta Gerwig's 2019 film "Little Women."

She has since appeared in films including "Midsommar," "Black Widow," "Oppenheimer," "Dune: Part Two" and "Thunderbolts*," establishing herself as one of the most sought-after actors of her generation. She is known for choosing complex, often intense roles across both independent films and major studio productions.

Taking on an executive producer role on "East of Eden" marks a further step in her career, giving her a hand in shaping the project beyond her performance.

A prestige bet for Netflix

"East of Eden" is one of Netflix's major prestige dramas for the fall season, joining a growing list of literary adaptations on the platform.

Steinbeck's novel, which he considered his most ambitious work, remains widely read and studied. Its themes of good and evil, free will and family legacy continue to resonate with readers more than 70 years after its publication.

All seven episodes of "East of Eden" are now streaming on Netflix. Early reaction to Pugh's portrayal of Cathy will be closely watched as the series seeks to put its own stamp on one of the most famous novels in American literature.