Two years after announcing her breakup with Zach Braff, Florence Pugh confirmed in a September 2024 interview that she is in a new relationship.
She shared her views on love, saying, “Okay, so something that I resonate with is that I believe that if magic is real, then it’s falling in love. And I am someone that loves falling in love.
I love looking after people. I love caring for people. I love the feeling of someone being there.
I love knowing that someone is thinking about me and someone cares for me in the same way that I’m thinking about caring for them.
I think in this portion of my life, I’m trying to make sure that I’m making all the right decisions so that I can have the thing that I want…which is safety, family, a home, and security.”
Although she did not mention her partner by name, Pugh described the evolving nature of their relationship: “We are figuring out what we actually are. And I think for the first time, I’m not allowing myself to go on a roller coaster.
I’m allowing myself to take time to let something evolve and let it be completely real to its core, as opposed to racing into that.”
Reflecting on the excitement of new love, she added, “Falling is the most amazing feeling, but unfortunately if that’s the only thing that you know in a relationship, then that’s the thing that you chase. That’s not gonna last.”
Pugh’s comments followed a report on September 4, which suggested that she was “secretly dating” 28-year-old Peaky Blinders actor Finn Cole.
The two were photographed leaving the after-party of The Perfect Couple’s London premiere the previous day.
According to a guest at the event, who spoke, “I saw them holding hands at the after-party at The Hoxton hotel.”
Although neither Pugh nor Cole has confirmed a romantic relationship, the pair has publicly supported one another for years.
In light of Pugh’s recent interview and their latest appearance together, here’s a closer look at Cole and his connection to the British actress.
Pugh has been open about her desire to find someone with whom she can build a family in the future.
She reflected on this while discussing her experience working on We Live in Time with : “I was at the right age for this movie to land.
I was going through a lot of weird stuff with relationships last year, and I think part of the story is to not be passive, to not let things wash over you. I want to go and find love, and I want to have babies.”
She added that her desire to have children has been a constant in her life: “Oh, I’ve always been thinking about starting a family,” she said.
“I’ve wanted to have kids since I was a child myself. I love the idea of a big family. I come from a big family. I love kids. I love hanging out with kids.
If ever there’s a dinner party, I go straight to the kids to chat to them. So much easier.
I love the honesty. I love how bored they can get. I’ve never stopped knowing that I want to have kids. It’s just figuring out when.”
Despite her openness about family aspirations, Pugh has expressed a desire to keep her personal relationships private.
Reflecting on her past relationship with Zach Braff, she explained, “I think for anyone I’m with, I want to protect them.
It’s not nice knowing that people are saying the worst things I’ve ever read about someone that I love. So that was necessary.
I needed to talk about it [Braff]. I think any relationship in this limelight is going to be stressed.”
In early September, it wasa reported on the speculation surrounding Pugh and Cole’s relationship.
A source who attended The Perfect Couple’s London premiere said, “Florence and Finn appeared to be very much together, and they were having a great time.
They kept a low profile at the premiere and party, and left out of the back door together and got into the same car.
They were there to support friends in the film and seemed keen not to be pictured or seen.
Florence and Finn seemed very happy together. But they made a quick exit when the event was wrapping up, and slipped away.”
One witness claimed, “She was gazing into his eyes [and] looked very in love.”
The two actors have been friends for years, with Pugh first liking Cole’s Instagram posts in June 2017.
She has consistently supported him online, most recently commenting on his July 17 post, which was a collaboration between Cole and WhatsOnStage showcasing him in Red Speedo.
Pugh excitedly commented, “Oh my gosh this is unbelievably exciting!” followed by, “Granny Pat wants to come… #obvi.”
Cole, for his part, has also shown his support for Pugh on social media, most recently liking her post shared on September 9.
The two were also photographed together with friends at Glastonbury earlier this year.
Finn Cole, a 28-year-old British actor, is best known for his roles in Peaky Blinders and Animal Kingdom.
His breakout role came as Michael Gray on Peaky Blinders, and his older brother, Joe Cole, who plays John Shelby on the show, helped him land the part.
Cole described his experience in an interview in 2016, explaining how he unexpectedly found himself auditioning for the role.
“My first real experience of acting was Peaky Blinders. That was the most intense experience. In those situations, you learn so quickly, and I did.”
Cole grew up in Kingston, South West London, and first got into acting during his school years.
“I had a teacher who I got along with, one of my favorite teachers, and he got me into it,” he shared in 2016.
He joined the National Youth Theatre when he was 17, pursuing his passion for acting alongside his love for rugby.
Born on November 9, 1995, Cole is a Scorpio. Pugh, born on January 3, 1996, is a Capricorn.
These two signs have incredible potential together if they “swear off secrecy,” describing them as “business-savvy signs.”
In a 2017 interview, Cole revealed that fame hadn’t significantly impacted his daily life.
However, he acknowledged that occasionally people recognized him, though he never brought it up.
Cole has worked alongside A-listers like Anya Taylor-Joy in Peaky Blinders and Margot Robbie in 2019’s Dreamland.
He credited Robbie for making him a better actor, sharing in 2020 how nervous he was during his audition but how her warm personality helped ease his nerves.
Cole has often gravitated toward playing darker characters, including sociopaths like Michael in Peaky Blinders and J in Animal Kingdom.
He expressed his fascination with such characters in his 2016 story, stating that he is intrigued by their psychology.
He explained, “I like to look into what makes a human being take that path.”
In preparing for these intense roles, Cole said he often taps into aspects of himself. “
With both characters, and all characters I play, they are parts of me that I’ve always wanted to look for,” he said, describing the acting process as drawing from his own experiences and emotions.
