Zoe Kazan adapted John Steinbeck’s novel into a seven-episode series, casting Florence Pugh as Cathy Ames and bringing her on as executive producer.
Writer Zoe Kazan only had Florence Pugh in mind for the central role of Cathy Ames when adapting East of Eden into a seven-episode Netflix limited series, Kazan said Wednesday night at the show’s New York premiere.
Kazan previously told Netflix that she didn’t have a backup because Pugh was the exact right person to play the part. Speaking at the Sept. 30 premiere, Kazan explained that Pugh matched how John Steinbeck described the character in his book, presenting a look that was “doll-like but with something icy or steely underneath.” Kazan said she recognized in Pugh a combination of a feminine presentation with masculinity to her soul in a Jungian sense, bringing raw emotion, agency and action to the role. Kazan was also influenced by Pugh’s performance in the 2019 film Midsommar, which she said announced a generational talent.
In developing the project, Kazan aimed to focus on Cathy’s perspective and examine the motivations of the complicated antihero. Pugh joined the production in 2020 and serves as an executive producer alongside her starring spot in the East of Eden Netflix cast.
Pugh said on the red carpet that she felt honored by the offer and couldn’t believe Kazan wanted to cast her. Being invited to help shape the adaptation boosted her confidence, Pugh said, explaining that it arrived at a time in her life and career when she was handed a major opportunity to step up and lead. On Instagram, Pugh wrote that Kazan had poured her heart and soul into the adaptation, calling Kazan her protector, work wife, cheerleader and confidence.
The limited series holds an 85 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Reviewers praised Pugh’s work, with Esquire calling her performance a “career best” and USA Today describing the show as a “must see.” Dan Fienberg, chief television critic for The Hollywood Reporter, wrote that Pugh successfully plays one of fiction’s great antagonists with an honesty that works even as her character ages past the point where Pugh looks convincing.
