Florence Pugh brings empathy to Steinbeck's most notorious character in 'East of Eden

Florence Pugh has said the new adaptation of "East of Eden" invites audiences to view ‌Cathy under a more sympathetic light, referring to one of American literature's most notorious villains.

The actor, who plays Cathy in the seven-part limited series, said the adaptation adds context to a character whom author John Steinbeck famously described as a "psychic monster" with a "malformed soul".

"She can still make terrible decisions and face awful consequences, but there can also be ... an understanding of her history and her past which makes her the way that she is," the Academy Award nominee said while speaking Reuters news agency.

"I don't want anyone walking away from this thinking, Zoe Kazan, Elia Kazan," she said.

"We want people walking away from this (to think) ... 'My father, my son, the things that I've done'."

Written by Zoe Kazan, ⁠who co-showruns the series alongside Jeb Stuart, the adaptation revisits Steinbeck's multi-generational saga, with a renewed focus on Cathy.

Kazan said the adaptation challenges viewers to look beyond simple notions of good and evil.

"We wanted our audience to be able to identify with every single character, the ones that are good on the surface and the ones that are evil on the surface," she said. "Because if we think about people that are evil or bad as being not human, we don't learn anything about ourselves."

Kazan said she has felt a deep connection to "East of Eden" since reading the novel aged 15, describing it as a story that "grabbed me by the throat and wouldn't let go" with its exploration of how people carry their family's past into the future.

"East of Eden" will be released on Netflix on Thursday, October 1.