Mia Goth is P. It’s a sentence that sounds like a cryptic internet riddle or a leaked character breakdown from a secret A24 project. If you’ve spent any time in the darker corners of film Twitter lately, you’ve probably seen the phrase popping up. But what does it actually mean?
Honestly, the "P" isn't a code for a new horror movie. It’s not a pregnancy announcement, despite the constant tabloid churn about her and Shia LaBeouf. It’s a callback to where everything started—a role so visceral and uncomfortable that most mainstream audiences completely missed it. We’re talking about Lars von Trier’s 2013 erotic odyssey, Nymphomaniac.
The Role That Changed Everything
In the film, Mia Goth plays a character literally named P.
She wasn't a lead. She was a supporting force of nature. P is a teenage girl, a ward of the main character Joe (played by Charlotte Gainsbourg). The relationship is... well, it’s Lars von Trier. It’s messy, manipulative, and deeply disturbing. Goth was only 19 when she filmed it. That’s the age where most actors are doing CW pilots or soda commercials. Instead, she was diving headfirst into a role that required a level of psychological nakedness most veterans wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole.
This is where the "Mia Goth is P" sentiment comes from. It’s a nod to her roots as the ultimate "unsettling" actress. People see her now in Pearl or MaXXXine and think she just showed up one day with a blood-stained axe. No. She was forged in the fire of Nymphomaniac.
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Why the "P" Role Still Haunts Her Career
There’s a specific kind of intensity Goth brings to the screen. It’s that wide-eyed, slightly detached, yet terrifyingly present energy. You can trace that exact DNA back to P.
In Nymphomaniac, P is a mirror. She reflects the trauma and the sexual nihilism of the characters around her. It was also where she met her long-term, on-again-off-again partner, Shia LaBeouf. The two of them together on that set must have been a chaotic energy vortex.
Some fans use "Mia Goth is P" to describe her method. She doesn't just play a character; she inhabits a vibe. When she was P, she spent months living in that headspace. She’s famously quoted in a 2014 i-D Magazine interview saying she "became" P. She’d imagine what P would do in every situation, even when the cameras weren't rolling. That’s not just acting. That’s a haunting.
Clearing Up the Confusion: Is She Pregnant?
Let’s address the elephant in the room. Because "P" is the first letter of "pregnant," the internet has a habit of using "Mia Goth is P" as a shorthand for pregnancy rumors.
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- Fact Check: Mia Goth and Shia LaBeouf welcomed their first child, a daughter named Isabel, in March 2022.
- The 2026 Reality: While rumors fly every time she wears a baggy sweater, there hasn't been a confirmed second pregnancy as of early 2026.
People love to speculate. They see a blurry paparazzi photo of her in Pasadena and the "P" word starts trending again. But usually, when cinephiles say "Mia Goth is P," they are talking about the character, the performance, and the sheer audacity of her debut.
The "Scream Queen" Evolution
If you want to understand why she’s the reigning queen of A24, you have to look at the trajectory from P to Maxine Minx. P was a victim of circumstance. Maxine is a survivor who refuses to be a victim.
It’s a fascinating arc. She went from being the quiet, observant, and slightly broken girl in a von Trier film to the woman screaming "I'm a star!" in the middle of a Texas farm.
How to Actually Watch Her Early Work
If you’re curious about the P era, you should know what you’re getting into. Nymphomaniac (Volume II is where she features most heavily) is not a casual Friday night movie. It’s over five hours long in its director’s cut. It’s graphic. It’s exhausting.
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But if you want to see the exact moment a superstar was born, that’s it. You see a raw, unpolished version of the talent that would eventually give us the greatest monologue of the 2020s at the end of Pearl.
What’s Next for Goth?
The "P" legacy continues through her choices. She isn't interested in being the "girl next door." Whether it’s playing multiple roles in Suspiria or leading a slasher trilogy, she carries that same "P" intensity.
If you're looking to dive deeper into the Goth-verse, stop scrolling through TikTok rumors. Go back to the source. Watch the early interviews from 2013 and 2014. Look at the way she talks about the craft.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Watch Nymphomaniac: Vol II (with a strong stomach) to see the origin of the "P" moniker.
- Track her collaboration with Ti West, specifically how the themes of fame and trauma in MaXXXine call back to her early roles.
- Ignore the "P" pregnancy clickbait unless it comes directly from a reputable source like People or a direct statement from her camp.
Mia Goth isn't just an actress. She's a genre. And "P" was the first chapter of that book.