Florence Pugh feels like she does her "best work" when she feels "ugly".

The 30-year-old star, who is set to reprise her role as Yelena Belova/Black Widow in Avengers: Doomsday after playing the character in 2025's Thunderbolts* and this summer's blockbuster Spider-Man: Brand New Day, has insisted there is a level of freedom that comes with not feeling her best on set.

She told ELLE magazine: "There's so much scrutiny of how we look, how we dress, and how we age.

"And then when we do those things, they're like, 'Oh my God, she looks like this, or she's done too much of that, or she's gained weight, or she's lost too much weight.'

"You can never get any footing right. I feel like the best work that I've ever done is when I truly feel ugly.

"When I've got s*** makeup on and I'm either sick or ugly or having a hangover or a breakdown. I love that type of makeup because it allows me to be free."

Florence noted that acting gives her a chance to avoid the "typical self-consciousness of just being a woman", and she can accept her body.

She explained: "When I'm acting, I get to be comfortable in the body that I'm in.

"If the camera picks up that I have a stomach roll when I'm sitting down, then I have a stomach roll when I'm sitting down.

"And if the camera picks up that I've got cellulite on my thighs, then yeah, I've got cellulite on my thighs. I just give it over to the art."

Florence pointed out that it's "so crucial" to accept yourself, because there will be people out there who "attack you regardless".

She added: "They're going to say really s***** things, no matter if you're too small, too big, too wrinkly, too spotty, too loud, too quiet, too opinionated.

"They're going to find issue with you, because that's just the nature of the internet and people and opinions.

"So it's really important to find peace with what you want to represent and who you want to be. Because then you can just be like, "Ugh, those d***heads."

Florence is known to throw herself into her roles, and she previously revealed she suffered from depression for six months after "abusing" herself on 2019's Midsommar.

Last year, she told The Louis Theroux Podcast: "I think [Midsommar] made me sad for like six months after and I didn't know why I was depressed.

"I got back after shooting Little Women, which was such a fun experience and obviously a completely different tone from Midsommar, so I think shelved all of that.

"And then when I got home for Christmas, I was so depressed and I was like, 'Oh, I think that's from Midsommar,' and I didn't deal with it and I probably shouldn't do that again."

Florence has made it clear she pushed herself during filming, and her actions had nothing to do with director Ari Aster, who she has been full of praise for in the past.