Actress Florence Pugh has spoken candidly about her experiences in Hollywood and how she was asked to make changes to her appearance.

Pugh revealed that when she first went to Los Angeles as a teenager, she was told to “lose weight” and “change the shape” of her face if she wanted to be successful in the entertainment industry.

She said that she felt “horrified” by the experience and that the things she was being asked to change were “so not what I wanted to do, or the industry I wanted to work in.”

Despite feeling disappointed with her early experiences in the US, Pugh continued with her acting career back in her native UK.

She landed a leading role in the 2016 movie ‘Lady Macbeth’ which made her “fall back in love with cinema”.

Pugh revealed that this experience taught her what kind of performer she wanted to be.

“I think it’s far too easy for people in this industry to push you left and right,” Pugh said.

“And I was lucky enough to discover when I was 19 what kind of a performer I wanted to be.”

Pugh went on to say that she wants to tackle roles that focus on her acting ability rather than her appearance.

She said that she is happiest when “I could be naked at whatever size I was, and bare-faced, and the acting could speak for itself. There’s nothing for people to be distracted by – they can’t be like, ‘Oh, I don’t like the make-up.’ It was a wonderful reminder, ‘Oh, yeah – this is who you are.’”

Pugh’s comments came in an interview with The Telegraph newspaper, in which she discussed her rise to fame and her recent role in the Marvel movie ‘Black Widow’.

Pugh stars as Yelena Belova, the sister of Scarlett Johansson’s character Natasha Romanoff.

During the interview, Pugh also discussed the challenges of working on a big-budget blockbuster movie like ‘Black Widow’.

She said that the experience was “completely different” from her work on independent films and that she had to adapt to a new way of working.

“It’s like comparing a small family business to a massive corporation,” Pugh said. “And when you’re a cog in that machine, you have to learn to work differently.”

Pugh said that she was “grateful” for the opportunity to work on ‘Black Widow’ but that she is still passionate about making independent films.

She said that she is particularly drawn to roles that challenge her and allow her to explore complex characters.

“I’ve never wanted to be comfortable,” Pugh said. “I always want to feel like I’m learning and I’m exploring new things.”

Pugh’s comments come at a time when Hollywood is facing increased scrutiny over its treatment of actors, particularly women.

A number of high-profile actresses have spoken out about their experiences of sexism and discrimination in the entertainment industry, including Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston.

Pugh’s willingness to speak out about her experiences is seen as an important step in the fight for greater equality in Hollywood.

Many hope that her words will inspire other actors to speak out and demand change in the industry.

As Pugh herself said: “I think the most important thing is for women to feel empowered to say, ‘No, this is not what I want. This is not the kind of environment I want to be in.’”