Florence Pugh and Mike Faist in East of Eden. Image: Kirsty Griffin / Netflix.
Zoe Kazan wanted Florence Pugh to play Cathy Ames before East of Eden had its full cast. At the London premiere on September 25, the writer and co-showrunner described Pugh as her first choice and praised her commitment through the years it took to make the series.
That decision started with another performance. Kazan had seen Pugh in Midsommar and named her when she first pitched the adaptation. She did not have a second actor in mind. Pugh eventually became both the lead actor and an executive producer, a credited role in helping develop the project beyond her performance.
A collaboration that began in 2020
Pugh first read the script in 2020, after an email from Kazan inviting her to make the series together. The invitation included a place in the creative discussions, not just the starring role. Pugh has described that early involvement as a chance to contribute before filming and to speak up about how Cathy would be portrayed.
The work required Pugh to play one woman at different ages across seven episodes. She wanted to understand the reasons behind Cathy’s choices rather than approach every scene as a simple display of cruelty. Her preparation also involved period dialogue, whose language and rhythm were different from the contemporary speech she uses in other roles.
The demanding schedule did not prevent the actors from enjoying each other’s company. Pugh described Christopher Abbott as funny between takes and said she enjoyed working with Mike Faist. The three actors spent their scenes dealing with family conflict, while their off-camera working relationship gave them a different way to spend time together.
East of Eden: collaborators and cast
4 screenshotsAbbott was cast before Faist
Kazan chose Christopher Abbott as Adam Trask before selecting Mike Faist as his brother Charles. She wanted the brothers to work in contrast to each other, so the first decision shaped the second. Once Abbott was attached, Faist quickly became the actor she wanted opposite him. The two roles were considered together, not as separate casting choices.
Joseph Zada and Joe Anders play the next generation as Cal and Aron Trask. Zada has described becoming friends with Anders in New Zealand and discussing their characters every day. The two actors supported each other while preparing to play brothers whose relationship with their father is very different.
The ensemble also includes Hoon Lee as Lee, Tracy Letts as Cyrus Trask, Martha Plimpton as Faye and Ciarán Hinds as Samuel Hamilton. Pugh’s earlier work includes The Wonder and Lady Macbeth; Abbott appeared in Poor Things, while Faist’s film credits include Challengers and West Side Story.
Kazan’s work beyond choosing the cast
Kazan first read John Steinbeck’s 1952 novel as a teenager. While adapting it, she also studied letters Steinbeck wrote to his editor during the writing process. Those letters helped her think about how the story could follow a country’s history while remaining focused on individual family members.
A novel can describe a character’s thoughts directly. Kazan had to convey those thoughts through what the actors say and do, and through the images on screen. She has said that some invention was necessary for that change of format, while Cathy’s characterization remained connected to the book.
Jeb Stuart served as co-showrunner and executive producer alongside Kazan. Garth Davis directed Episodes 1–4, and Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre directed Episodes 5–7. The credits divide the work clearly: Kazan wrote the adaptation, Pugh played Cathy and helped produce it, and the directors filmed different sections of the seven-episode story.
Making California in New Zealand
Although much of East of Eden is set in California’s Salinas Valley, the production filmed in New Zealand. Kazan said the country offered Victorian buildings and landscapes that were harder to find together in the United States. The team also built the Trask family’s Connecticut and California homes, with production designer Grant Major adding details to make the rooms look used across generations.
All seven episodes of East of Eden are now streaming on Netflix following the October 1, 2026 release. The series spans the years between the American Civil War and World War I. Its cast plays several generations of one family, while Kazan and Pugh’s collaboration began years before any of those scenes reached viewers.
For Pugh’s approach to Cathy, read our story about her childhood and performance.
