Thunderbolt Florence Pugh 'always had star quality'

Florence Pugh is now one of Hollywood's biggest stars

Florence Pugh has fast become one of Hollywood's biggest names - but before the bright lights of Los Angeles came calling, it was among the rolling hills and dreaming spires of Oxfordshire that her star began to burn.

Claire Hooper - who taught a young Pugh for "about two or three years" at Cokethorpe School, in Witney, during the early noughties - said the actress "always had star quality".

She spoke to the BBC ahead of her former student's latest release, Marvel's Thunderbolts*.

The film sees Pugh return to her role as assassin Yelena Belova, with the character teaming up with other antiheroes - including those played by Sebastian Stan and David Harbour - to embark on a dangerous mission.

Ms Hooper said Pugh was destined for the big screen: "It was quite extraordinary for somebody of her age - it wasn't like watching a little child on the stage."

Pugh stars as assassin Yelena Belova in Thunderbolts* that is released in the UK on 1 May

Reviews for Thunderbolts* have not yet been widely published, but responses to early screenings have been positive - with Pugh in particular being highlighted for praise.

The 29-year-old has called the film the "movie we all need right now".

"I think we need to understand mental health a bit more and I think we need to understand that everyone is battling with their own demons - and this is a movie that certainly tackles that," she told reporters at the film's London premier on Tuesday.

Her performance has been called "superb" and labelled the one that "shines the brightest" among the cast by some critics.

It's something that doesn't surprise Ms Hooper: "I cast her in what was probably her first ever public performance - as Mary in the school nativity play.

"She just had an amazing ability at a young age to completely embody a character and sort of let herself go."

Ms Hooper, who has taught at Cokethorpe for 24 years, said Pugh performed the nativity in a Yorkshire accent: "I'm not sure where that came from at the time, but she was just brilliant."

She said her former pupil - who she affectionately referred to as "Floss" - "always had star quality".

Florence Pugh's (right) first London red carpet was for 2014's The Falling where she starred alongside Maisie Williams

The superhero blockbuster is a far cry from her first big-screen role in Carol Morley's 2014 film The Falling, that was filmed at Carmel College in Wallingford.

Starring alongside Maisie Williams, 17-year-old Pugh was still in the sixth form at St Edward's School in Oxford when she was cast.

Pugh was born and grew up in the city alongside three siblings - including the actor and singer Toby Sebastian, who played Trystane Martell in the HBO series Game of Thrones.

In 2015 she spoke to BBC Radio Oxford's Kat Orman about her break-out role and growing up in the city.

Her father, Clinton Pugh, is well known for his restaurants - and more recently for his criticism of Oxford's traffic filters.

Ms Hooper said Pugh grew up in a "creative, really good and fun family", adding that she and her siblings were "all just incredibly talented, gorgeous humans".

"They were really, really special children."

Pugh starred alongside Robert Downey Jr, Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy and Matt Damon in Oscar winning Oppenheimer

Anna Smith, film critic and host of the podcast Girls On Film, said Pugh was a "talented, versatile actress who makes smart choices" who was now a "big star".

Since her first film more than a decade ago, Pugh has gone on to star in movies such as Midsommar, Don't Worry Darling and the Oscar award winning films Oppenheimer and Dune: Part Two.

In 2020, she herself earned an Academy Award nomination for her supporting turn as Amy March in Greta Gerwig's adaption of Little Women - although she lost out on the night to Marriage Story's Laura Dern.

She earned an Oscar nomination for her role as Amy March in Little Women

"Audiences seem to respond to her authenticity - while she's very versatile, I think she brings a warmth and wit to many of her roles that people can relate to. It's not overly 'Hollywood'," Ms Smith, who first met Pugh when the actress was 16, said.

She made her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in 2021, starring alongside Scarlett Johannsen's Black Widow, in what was her first appearance as Yelena Belova.

Following Thunderbolts*, she is set to return as the character in Avengers: Doomsday alongside Marvel stalwarts Robert Downey Jr and Chris Hemsworth.

"Florence combines relatability with talent and star power, and she appeals to a wide variety of audiences thanks to balancing superhero movies and sci-fi with thoughtful dramas," Ms Smith said.

She added: "I don't think it will be too long before she lands her first Oscar."

Florence Pugh was joined by her family on the black carpet at the Thunderbolts* premiere

Pugh remains close to her family, releasing a song with her brother during lockdown in 2021.

The Pugh family joined her at the premiere of Thunderbolts* in London and her grandmother, Pat Mackin, regularly attends her celebrity events.

Talking on the red carpet, Pugh said: "I don't ever want to be caught out for something that I'm not, and I think that's always been the essence of why I've always been big mouthed, why I've always been opinionated and why I've always worn the things I want to wear.

"I would much rather know that everything I've done is 100% me than have to apologise for something that was half me later."

Despite her stardom, Ms Hooper said she still saw "Floss" as "that tiny child with really striking and incredible vocal quality, and the ability just to become a different person".

"I can't take any credit whatsoever for her success, but I'm incredibly proud of what she's done - she's just got extraordinary talent," Ms Hooper added.