What The Leading Ladies Of Netflix's East Of Eden Look Like In Real Life

John Steinbeck's epic novel "East of Eden" is on our screens once again, this time on Netflix. The seven-episode series focuses on the most intriguing character in the novel, Cathy Ames, who is alluring and deadly. "When I was a little girl, I imagined that I could grow smaller. So small that the bad things couldn't find me, and I could disappear," Cathy, played by Florence Pugh, says in the teaser (via YouTube).

Netflix's version doesn't cover the entire book, but it features most of the key characters, including the gullible Faye (played by Martha Plimpton) and Abra Bacon (Zoe Phillips). As with all movie adaptations, one of the most interesting parts is seeing how the filmmakers visually interpret the characters. Just like with Netflix's "Little House On The Prairie," which also has stunning leading ladies, there's quite a bit of difference between the book's descriptions, the adaptation's version, and what the "East of Eden" actors look like in real life.

In Netflix's "East of Eden," Cathy is beautiful, with an aura of innocence that conceals the darkness within. She has the ability to look fierce or frail when it suits her, and Florence Pugh does a solid job of bringing bringing the character to life. Cathy has long, light brown hair which she often pulls back. When she's playing the part of damsel in distress, she doesn't wear makeup, but when she shows off her crueler side, a red lip and dramatic eye look conveys her unleashed brutality.

In real life, Pugh's styling choices are very different. Her hair is dark brown with blonde highlights and is shoulder-length now, grown out after going quite short. When it comes to fashion, we're absolutely in love with the actor's sense of style. She stuns in everything, from the casual photos she shares on Instagram, to the more high-fashion outfits, like the silver dress she wore to the "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" premiere.

Beyond the glam, Florence Pugh's flawless makeup-free photos show just how gorgeous she is away from the stage. If her super clear skin gives you major envy, you'll be pleased to know that some makeup artists she's worked with over the years have been kind enough to share some of her beauty secrets. In 2020, Naoko Scintu told Refinery29 that the actor uses the Omorovicza skincare brand, always wears sunscreen, and tries to have SPF in the makeup products she uses.

One of the castings we were most excited for was Martha Plimpton as Faye. Plimpton kills every role she's cast in and and her turn in "East of Eden" is no exception. This version of Faye has kind eyes and a kind heart, and despite being a brothel owner, she seems to dress rather modestly and appears a bit plain in her presentation.

In real life, Plimpton is almost unrecognizable compared to her "East of Eden" character. For one, her real hair is blonde, short, and absolutely chic, especially compared to the voluminous brunette updo she has in the series. Seriously, if you needed another reason you should consider short hair, a brief scroll through the actor's Instagram is some great inspo. She really takes advantage of the versatility of the cut, sometimes styling it with gel, other times wearing it in a chic pixie.

We're also huge fans of her wardrobe. One of our favorite looks from the actor was the gorgeous floral red and black dress she wore to the "East of Eden" premiere in New York. Designed by Là Fuori, the gown had a plunging neckline at the front and a low-cut back, as well as 3D flowers tracing both dips. Plimpton always looks great, but that look was definitely a highlight. 

In "East of Eden," Abra Bacon has romantic entanglements with both twins, Aron and Cal Trask. She's strong, independent, and quite the opposite of Cathy morality-wise. In the Netflix miniseries, she typically wears her brunette hair pulled back and her makeup gives her a natural look.

Beyond the cameras, Zoe Phillips (who plays Abra) is absolutely gorgeous. Like the character, she's got wavy brown hair, but without the confines of Abra's styling, her locks frame her features beautifully. She displayed her curls in all their glory at the "East of Eden" New York Premiere wearing a wine-red dress styled with glowy but natural looking makeup.

Zoe is a relatively new actor and doesn't have much of a filmography, but her Instagram details much of her real-life looks and an abundance of makeup-free photos. One of our favorites was the closeup she shared in August which showed her bare face, clear skin, and cute freckles.