All About Florence Pugh's Parents, Clinton Pugh and Deborah Mackin

Florence Pugh is one of four children born to Clinton Pugh and Deborah Mackin

Florence Pugh comes from a creative family.

Growing up in Oxfordshire, England, the actress’ father Clinton Pugh worked as a restaurateur, and her mother Deborah Mackin was an aerobics instructor, as well as a former ballet dancer. In addition to Florence, the pair have three other children together, who have all built careers in the entertainment industry.

Speaking with The Last Magazine in April 2019, Florence said because of her family’s theatrical nature, she always knew she would become an actress. “My mom was a dancer when she was younger and my dad is a restaurateur, so between the two of them, they know how to put on a good show,” she said.

Florence also credits her parents for her confident attitude. During an interview with Vogue in January 2023, the Black Widow actress said she was raised to not be self-conscious of her body.

“We are human, we are bodies,” she said. “Yes, I can put makeup on and look good for a premiere. But at the end of the day, I still have hair on the top of my lip and I still smell after a workout and I still get spots when I’m stressed. I think that attitude definitely has trickled down from when I was a child.”

So, who are Florence Pugh’s parents? Here’s everything to know about Clinton Pugh and Deborah Mackin.

They met in an aerobics class

Clinton and Mackin met in England during an aerobics class, according to Vogue. Mackin is a classically trained ballet dancer who later became a traveling aerobics instructor. She taught classes around England, and it was during one of these sessions that she met Clinton.

The couple eventually settled down in Oxfordshire, England, to raise their family.

Clinton and Mackin have four children together

Clinton and Mackin are the parents of four children: Arabella, Toby, Florence and Rafaela. The Midsommar actress is the second-youngest of her siblings, who are all involved in the arts.

Florence’s older sister, Arabella, is a voice actor, singing tutor and vocal coach. She is also a stage actor and the only one of the four siblings who formerly studied drama, per The Guardian.

Toby, Florence’s older brother, is also an actor and musician. He starred as Trystane Martell in Game of Thrones and portrayed Andrea Bocelli in the 2017 biopic The Music Of Silence. In March 2023, Toby and Florence released a song together called “Midnight.”

The youngest of the four siblings, Rafaela, made her acting debut in the 2014 thriller Born of War. According to Vogue, she has also developed an interest in costume design.

Clinton is a restaurateur

Clinton owns several restaurants in Oxfordshire, England, including Café CoCo and Kazbar. According to Vogue, Florence and her siblings would work in their father’s restaurants as teens, making cappuccinos and later bartending.

"There's an enormous amount of power when you're behind a bar," Florence told the outlet of her time bartending at the family eateries.

Growing up around the restaurant business inspired a love of cooking in Florence, who has become known for her Cooking with Flo videos. In a video for Vogue, the actress credited Clinton and Mackin for her cooking skills.

"Cooking has been a huge part of my life," she said. "My dad is a cook. My mom is a cook."

They moved from England to Spain for Florence’s health

Florence has asthma and tracheomalacia, which caused breathing issues for her as a child and prompted her family to move to Spain when she was 3.

During an episode of Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge in 2022, Florence revealed her doctors advised the move because they believed a “hotter climate would be better” for her health. The actress’ parents didn’t hesitate to move as they were eager to protect Florence’s health and “live somewhere else, and have a portion of our lives that was different."

"And it really was fun. My parents were young and had three kids and decided to just 'vamanos,' " Florence added. "It was wicked. I want to do that when I'm older, as well. It's such a nice way of just thinking and looking at things, and just picking up and going and living somewhere."

After a few years of living in Spain, Clinton and Mackin moved their family back to Oxfordshire when Florence was 6, per Vogue.

Mackin taught Florence professionalism at an early age

From an early age, Mackin taught Florence about the importance of professionalism. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter in January 2020, the Don’t Worry Darling actress revealed that the lesson came after she told Mackin she had yet to learn her lines for a play she was performing in.

“She sat me down, and she was like, ‘I know you’re only 7, and I know this is your first play, but when you do a play, you’re committing to something. When you go onstage, you know what your lines are. And you are essentially giving yourself to a performance. So, don’t be sloppy,’ ” she said. “It wasn’t in any way harsh or mean. She was just saying, as a performer, if you’re saying that you’re going to be this part, you’re making people rely on you, and you have to take it seriously. That has stuck with me my entire life.”

Florence brought Clinton and Mackin to the 2020 Oscars

Florence brought her parents as her dates to the 2020 Oscars, where she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her work in Little Women. During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in June 2021, the actress opened up about how taking her parents to the Oscars parties was “pure havoc” and like “wrangling toddlers.”

"We went to all the parties. They'd go into a party and then they'd just separate and they'd basically bet to each other how many cool people they met,” she said. “They are partiers, they go out and they make memories."

Florence also recounted an incident from Madonna's post-Oscars party, where Mackin “went missing for hours.”

"My mom suddenly comes crawling from somewhere, she's holding onto banisters and doors, and I'm like, 'Mama, are you okay?' And she was like 'Yeah, yeah,' and I was like, 'What happened?!' and she goes, 'No, no, I've been hanging out with Snoop Dogg,' " the actress said. "So, my mom got high with Snoop Dogg.”

Florence added, “So I literally had to grab them both and leave. It was like, 'Come on kids, we're going home now. Fun is done.' "

Mackin encouraged Florence to audition for The Falling

Florence’s film debut was in the 2014 thriller The Falling, but when the audition opportunity was advertised to the girls at her school, she almost didn’t send in a tape. In a video for BAFTA, the actress said landing her first lead role was “a complete fluke,” as she initially didn’t plan to make a tape before Mackin convinced her to audition.

“I remember everybody for months was like, ‘Have you done the tape? I’ve done the tape. I’ve handed it in. I’ve heard it’s first come, first serve.’ And I didn’t do the tape because my brother was in the industry, and I knew that’s not how tapes work,” Florence said. “My mom said had I done the tape, and I was like, ‘What? Even you know that that’s not how auditions happen.’ And she goes, ‘No, you’re not going to get it, but it’s practice.’ So I did it. And then I ended up receiving an email on Monday morning, and it was like mind-blowing.”

Florence is very close with Mackin’s mother

Florence has a close relationship with Mackin’s mother, whom she refers to as “Granzo Pat.” In September 2022, the actress brought her grandmother to the Venice Film Festival, where the two posed for photos on the red carpet.

Following the event, Florence shared in an Instagram post that she had convinced Granzo Pat to renew her passport so she could travel to the festival, and she brought her on the carpet after watching her snap photos on her phone.

"I hugged her and asked if she would like to stand with me for a picture, her eyes lit up whilst also saying 'oh they don't want to see me..' I assured her they did," she wrote in the caption. "Next thing I know she's dancing for all the photographers calling her name. It was truly the most special moment I have ever had on a carpet. She has always been beauty and grace, but to see her so proud and so natural when hundreds of people were watching and cheering was truly remarkable. Granzo Pat is remarkable."

In February 2024, Granzo Pat joined Florence on the red carpet once again for the premiere of Dune 2 in London. In an Instagram post, the actress said it is “such a beautiful feeling knowing everyone also thinks she’s a star."

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