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Florence Pugh discusses playing Cathy in Netflix's East of Eden and changes to Steinbeck's character

Florence Pugh, who plays Cathy Ames and executive produced Netflix's seven-episode East of Eden, has spoken about working with creator Zoe Kazan and about the series humanising a character Steinbeck wrote as purely evil.

2 outlets · 1L · 1C · 0R First reported Account updated
Image: The Hollywood Reporter
Image: Screen Rant

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The story, neutrally told

Mixed · 2Netflix's East of Eden is a seven-episode limited series adapting John Steinbeck's novel, with Florence Pugh playing the central character Cathy Ames. Left · 1Pugh is also an executive producer, and the Hollywood Reporter says she has had a central role in the series since she was brought on in 2020. Left · 1Creator and showrunner Zoe Kazan said Pugh was her only choice for Cathy, telling Netflix: "I didn't have a backup." She told the Hollywood Reporter at the New York premiere that Pugh matched Steinbeck's description of a doll-like character with something icy underneath, and cited Pugh's performance in 2019's Midsommar.

Left · 1Pugh told the Hollywood Reporter she felt "very honored" to be cast, and that helping shape the adaptation as an executive producer boosted her confidence and let her "lead in a different way". She also thanked Kazan on Instagram. Centre · 1Screen Rant reports that the series changes Cathy from Steinbeck's purely evil figure into one whose cruelty is shaped by unresolved childhood trauma. Her fate matches the book's, but the ending shows her vision of herself at five years old. Centre · 1Speaking to Netflix's Tudum, Pugh said she takes pride in giving unlikable characters, particularly women, "another chance" and making them human. She linked the approach to current debates about equality and bodily autonomy, saying she hopes such stories lead viewers to ask "How far have we actually moved forward?"

Mixed · 2Reviews are mostly positive. The Hollywood Reporter cites an 85 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating, with its critic Dan Fienberg and Esquire praising Pugh. Screen Rant cites 86 percent "Certified Fresh" and a 76 percent audience score. Centre · 1Screen Rant's own review gave the show six out of 10. It praised Pugh but argued that making Cathy a victim of circumstance "robs the character of some agency".

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.

Left1 outlet

Framing
A promotional-style profile centred on Pugh and Kazan's working relationship and Pugh's growing confidence.
Emphasis
Praise for Pugh, premiere-night quotes, and positive reviews.
Leaves out or plays down
Does not discuss how the series changes Cathy from the novel or any critical reservations.
Charged language
“stellar reviews”“career best”“genius”
For example
““I think she’s a genius. It was very clear to me that” — The Hollywood Reporter
“In East of Eden‘s stellar reviews” — The Hollywood Reporter

Centre1 outlet

Framing
An explainer on how the adaptation departs from Steinbeck's Cathy, using Pugh's Tudum comments.
Emphasis
Changes to the character's backstory and ending, and Pugh's link to women's rights, with a mixed review.
Leaves out or plays down
Says little about the Kazan–Pugh collaboration or Pugh's confidence.
Charged language
“pure evil”“unlikable and evil character”
For example
“Steinbeck's source material depicts her as being pure evil instead of a tragic or sympathetic villain” — Screen Rant
“some of the changes to her character ultimately backfire” — Screen Rant

Right0 outlets

No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.