The Real Reason Florence Pugh Has A Raspy Voice
From the adaptation of literary classic Little Women to the cult-filled, creepy hit Midsommar, actress Florence Pugh had a breakout year in film in 2019. She even earned an Oscar nom for her role as Amy March in the movie based on Louisa May Alcott's famous novel. And the 24-year-old star doesn't show any signs of slowing down. Next on the agenda, she's appearing alongside Scarlett Johansson in the long-awaited Black Widow movie (the release date of which was recently pushed back because of coronavirus).
Now that you're seeing Pugh all over the big screen, you may have a few questions: Who's she dating? (The answer would be Scrubs alum Zach Braff, and no, she doesn't care about their 20-year age difference). What does she do in her spare time? (She makes marmalade and other treats on Instagram Story and it's absolutely delightful.) Why does her voice sound so raspy? (Hang tight, we're about to dive into that.)
Earlier this year, Pugh opened up about her vocal situation, explaining that there's a reason she's on the raspier side — keep reading to find out why.
Florence Pugh's vocal tone resulted from a childhood health scare
In January 2020, Florence Pugh chatted with Vogue — another clear indicator of her rising-star status. Not just anyone finds themselves interviewed in or on the cover of the acclaimed Anna Wintour-led magazine. In the piece, writer Gaby Wood noted of Pugh, "Her voice is both worldly and cheerful, with a rasp that derives—she later tells me—from a childhood illness."
As explained by Vogue, "[Pugh] suffered from what was later diagnosed as tracheomalacia—meaning her trachea partly collapses after she breathes—and as a toddler she spent a good deal of time in hospitals. Now she just has, she says, 'a very scary cough.'"
The condition is further explained on the Boston Children's Hospital website: "This means that when your child exhales, the trachea narrows or collapses so much that it may feel hard to breathe. This may lead to a vibrating noise or cough. Tracheomalacia can result in recurring respiratory illnesses or make it difficult to recover from a respiratory illness."
Although that must've been scary, especially as a kid, now Pugh is able to use her raspy voice to her advantage in movies like Midsommar (where Vogue shouted out the "alarmingly throaty punctuation in her performed grief"). There were scenes where her character Dani straight-up sobbed in the most captivating, uncomfortable way. And honestly, she should've gotten an Oscar nom for this movie too.
Florence Pugh puts her voice to good use with music
Not only is Florence Pugh an Academy Award-nominated actress, but she's vocally talented as well. Publications ranging from People to Mashable have called out her talents with headlines like, "Florence Pugh Has a Hidden Talent — She Can Sing!" to "These YouTube videos of Florence Pugh singing will restore your youth." Some fans may not know this, but Pugh has an entire YouTube channel showing off her voice.
Per People, Pugh uploaded videos as a teen back in 2013 under the name Flossie Rose. She sang a cover of a cover of "Wonderwall," specifically the Ryan Adams version. She's also performed "Hey Ho" by the Lumineers while strumming on her guitar, as well as Bob Dylan's "Make You Feel My Love", which was famously covered by Adele.
While it's clear Pugh's Hollywood career is only getting started, here's hoping future movie roles show off her musical pipes. That woman can sing and act, and the world deserves to hear her.