Rising British actress Florence Bensberg has caught the spotlight with her performance as Marcy in Hulu’s original series Alien: Earth. To fully embody the role, the actress underwent a striking transformation, even shaving her head as part of her preparation.
In 2025, Bensberg also joined the cast of the Croatian feature film 260 Days, where she portrayed Gabrijela. She first gained recognition on the big screen with her debut in Disney’s Peter Pan & Wendy, playing Curly — one of the Lost Boys. In this adaptation, unlike the 1953 animated classic, the group was reimagined to include girls, bringing a more inclusive touch to the story. The film was shot in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic, adding an extra layer of challenge to the production.
On stage, Bensberg has also showcased her talent in theater, appearing in The Lazy Ace as part of the Ensemble cast. With a growing body of work across theater, film, and streaming, Florence Bensberg is steadily establishing herself as a promising new talent in the entertainment industry.
Florence, you went through the intense experience of shaving your head to bring Marcy to life in Alien: Earth. What was that internal process like, transforming yourself so radically for a role?
Well, actually I was really lucky because I didn’t have to shave my head. They made me a special bald cap which was sculpted from a mold of my head. The experience of that was quite intense though! My head and shoulders were covered in latex and I could only breath through tiny holes for around 45 minutes! It took the make up FX team around 2-3 hours every day to put my bald cap on.
In 260 Days, you immersed yourself in a Croatian production, quite different from Hollywood or British theatre. What stood out to you the most, culturally and artistically, in that experience?
260 was the first independent film that I’ve worked on so it was a much smaller cast and crew than Peter Pan and Wendy or Alien Earth which was really nice because I was able to get to know everyone involved. This obviously isn’t possible when you have hundreds of crew. I really love working in Croatia, this was the second time I’ve filmed there. 260 is based on a book and is a true story. I was lucky enough to meet some of the family that we were portraying. I really felt the responsibility of playing a real life character and wanted to do her justice. The cast of the family became very close on that film.
Your film debut was in Peter Pan & Wendy, a movie that promoted inclusion by bringing girls into the group of the “Lost Boys.” What was it like for you to be part of such a symbolic change in such a classic story?
I was only ten when I filmed that so to me it was totally normal. Although, even now I don’t see why girls can’t be a part of the Lost Boys. I think it can be interesting to explore gender swapping in most stories.
The film was shot right in the middle of the pandemic. What memories do you carry from that set during such a delicate moment for the world?
It was crazy. We were in lockdown in the UK at the time we flew to Canada for filming. We hadn’t really been out or seen anyone for a while so it was a little overwhelming. On set all cast and crew wore masks all the time, even when we were outside, and we had COVID tests all the time. It was funny because later when I saw people without their masks I didn’t recognise them!
Looking at such distinct characters as Curly, Marcy, and Gabrijela, do you feel that any of them personally transformed you?
Whilst the characters obviously stay with you when you finish filming, I think the process of filming and the amazing people that you meet are the most transformative for me.
On stage, in The Lazy Ace, you experienced a unique kind of stage energy. What does theatre still awaken in you that film and TV cannot?
I really love acting on stage. It’s not something I do very often so when I do I really enjoy it. As I have done more screen however, Film and TV sets have become a comfort zone for me.
You are in a phase of discoveries and rising in your career. What would the Florence at the beginning say if she could see Florence the actress you are today?
I think she would be really happy!
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