From Little Women to East of Eden: Florence Pugh Returns to Period Drama in Her Darkest Literary Role Yet

The actress who won widespread acclaim as Amy March in Little Women has returned to the world of classic literature, but this time she is playing a very different kind of woman. Florence Pugh, whose performance in Greta Gerwig’s beloved 2019 adaptation earned her an Academy Award nomination, now takes centre stage in Netflix’s East of Eden as Cathy Ames, one of John Steinbeck’s most controversial characters.

The seven-part Netflix drama, adapted from Steinbeck’s celebrated 1952 novel, features Pugh alongside Christopher Abbott and Mike Faist in a sweeping family saga set against the changing American landscape.

For audiences who remember her as the ambitious, outspoken youngest March sister, the transformation is striking. While Amy struggled to reconcile artistic ambition, love and society’s expectations, Cathy presents a far more troubling exploration of independence, power and morality.

The connection between the two roles also reveals why Pugh has become such a compelling choice for filmmakers adapting complex female characters from literary classics.

Florence Pugh as Amy March in Little Women (2019).

Florence Pugh as Cathy Ames in East of Eden (2026).

The Little Women Role That Earned Florence Pugh an Oscar Nomination

Pugh’s performance as Amy March in Greta Gerwig’s Little Women marked an important breakthrough in her career.

Adapted from Louisa May Alcott’s novel, the 2019 film followed the lives of the four March sisters as they navigated family responsibilities, personal ambitions and romantic relationships in 19th-century America.

Sharing the screen with Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Eliza Scanlen and Timothée Chalamet, Pugh brought unexpected depth to Amy, a character sometimes remembered primarily for her childhood impulsiveness and rivalry with her older sister Jo.

Her performance explored Amy’s development into a practical and self-aware young woman who understands the limitations placed on women of her era.

Rather than presenting Amy simply as a spoiled younger sister, Pugh highlighted her determination, intelligence and desire for independence.

The performance earned Pugh a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the 2020 Academy Awards, establishing her as one of the most promising actresses of her generation.

Florence Pugh and Timothée Chalamet in Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of Little Women.

A Dramatically Different Woman in East of Eden

Seven years after Little Women, Pugh has returned to another major American literary adaptation, although Cathy Ames could hardly be further removed from Amy March.

Set primarily around the Trask family, East of Eden examines sibling rivalry, complicated family relationships and the struggle between good and evil.

The Netflix production places Cathy at the centre of the narrative, giving greater attention to a woman whose actions and motivations have provoked debate among readers of Steinbeck’s novel for decades.

Cathy becomes closely connected to brothers Adam Trask, played by Christopher Abbott, and Charles Trask, portrayed by Mike Faist.

Through their relationships, the drama explores the consequences of personal choices across generations.

Unlike Amy, whose ambitions are shaped by her hopes for artistic achievement and a secure future, Cathy challenges the expectations placed upon her in far more unsettling ways.

The adaptation also explores aspects of Cathy’s past, attempting to understand the experiences that shaped her personality without overlooking the harm caused by her decisions.

That interpretation has generated discussion among critics about whether giving Cathy a more sympathetic psychological background changes the moral complexity of Steinbeck’s original character.

Pugh takes on the complicated role of Cathy Ames in Netflix’s new adaptation of John Steinbeck’s classic.

Why the Creator Wanted Florence Pugh and Nobody Else

One of the most revealing details behind the production is that creator Zoe Kazan had Florence Pugh in mind for Cathy from the beginning.

Kazan, who wrote and executive produced the series, explained that she had been deeply impressed by Pugh’s previous performances, including Midsommar, Lady Macbeth and Little Women.

The actress’s ability to combine vulnerability with formidable emotional intensity convinced Kazan she could portray Cathy without reducing her to a conventional villain.

Kazan has said she did not have a second choice for the part.

Her confidence in Pugh was so strong that she approached the actress not simply as a performer but as a creative collaborator.

Pugh subsequently joined the series as an executive producer, becoming involved in shaping the adaptation beyond her work in front of the camera.

The actress has explained that she is particularly interested in characters whom audiences find difficult to like, because they challenge her to understand human behaviour without necessarily defending it.

An Unexpected Link to the Classic 1955 Film

The new East of Eden also carries a remarkable connection to Hollywood history.

Zoe Kazan is the granddaughter of filmmaker Elia Kazan, who directed the famous 1955 adaptation starring James Dean.

The earlier film became one of Dean’s defining performances, focusing largely on the later portion of Steinbeck’s novel and the rivalry between Adam Trask’s sons.

The Netflix version takes a broader approach to the book’s multigenerational story and makes Cathy a central figure.

That creative decision gives Pugh a substantial opportunity to explore material that received far less attention in the 1955 film.

It also means the new adaptation is not simply attempting to recreate the James Dean classic.

Instead, it revisits the source material through a different perspective, particularly in its treatment of Cathy and the choices available to women in her world.

The 1955 film adaptation of East of Eden, directed by Elia Kazan, remains closely associated with James Dean.

Two Literary Heroines, Two Very Different Performances

Although Amy March and Cathy Ames belong to very different stories, both roles allow Pugh to explore women confronting the restrictions and expectations of their historical settings.

In Little Women, Amy’s journey concerns ambition, maturity and the compromises involved in securing an independent future.

In East of Eden, Cathy represents a much darker examination of personal freedom, morality and the consequences of rejecting conventional expectations.

Both characters require more than a straightforward portrayal of a sympathetic heroine.

For Pugh, that complexity is part of the attraction.

Her wider filmography includes emotionally demanding performances in Midsommar, Oppenheimer, The Wonder and We Live in Time, alongside blockbuster appearances in the Marvel and Dune franchises.

Yet her return to literary period drama demonstrates a particular strength: bringing contemporary emotional depth to characters created generations earlier.

East of Eden Receives Strong Early Critical Response

Netflix’s seven-episode adaptation has received a largely positive critical reception, with Florence Pugh’s performance attracting particular attention.

The series currently holds an 87% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 62 reviews, alongside an 85% audience score from more than 250 ratings. These scores may change as additional reviews are published.

Reviewers have praised Pugh’s commanding portrayal of Cathy and the production’s ambition in bringing Steinbeck’s sprawling novel to television.

However, the decision to reconsider Cathy’s background and motivations has also divided some commentators who favour the novel’s original characterisation.

For viewers familiar with the 1955 film, the new production offers a significantly different way into Steinbeck’s story.

And for those who first discovered Florence Pugh through Little Women, it provides another demonstration of her range.

From Amy March to Cathy Ames: A Remarkable Career Transformation

Florence Pugh’s journey from Little Women to East of Eden is more than a return to period costumes and classic literature.

Amy March helped establish her reputation as an actress capable of finding warmth and intelligence within a frequently misunderstood character.

Cathy Ames now challenges her to explore a far more morally complicated figure, one whose place in American literary history continues to inspire disagreement.

The two performances are separated by seven years and vastly different characterisations, but they share a willingness to look beyond first impressions.

With East of Eden now available on Netflix, audiences have an opportunity to see the actress who once brought Amy March to life undertake one of her most demanding dramatic roles yet.

For viewers who admired Pugh in Little Women, her transformation into Cathy Ames may be one of the most intriguing reasons to discover this new adaptation.