Ana de Armas tired of Latin stereotypes: despite the criticisms, she becomes Marilyn Monroe

Being Latina is not and shouldn’t be a limitation when it comes to landing big roles in Hollywood. This is what Ana de Armas thinks and she proves it by getting into the skin none other than Marilyn Monroe in Blonde (Netflix). “You will surprise us”, she says in an interview with EFE in Venice.

“Maybe I tried to reject the Latin stereotype that existed in Hollywood. I am still Latin, although others think it is not Latin enough. (…) For me it is something very important to show that your ethnicity does not mean a limit, it does not mean that you are not capable of playing wonderful characters anywhere ”, reflects the actress.

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Born in Cuba, Ana de Armas moved to Spain, the land of her grandparents, at the age of 18 and, after becoming enormously popular with the series El internado, decided to make the leap to the United States, where she participated. in major projects such as Knives Out – for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe – Blade Runner 2049 or the latest James Bond.

And now this Marilyn who can be your consecration. A few hours after the film’s official opening in Venice, where she is vying for the Golden Lion, the actress seems calm. There have already been some screenings for the press, with divergent opinions, between those who consider it a masterpiece and those who consider it disappointing, even if most agree on the good work of the actress.

A role that came to him by surprise was not something he was looking for. He recognizes that this is a “once in a lifetime” opportunity and he couldn’t say no to embody one of the mythical characters of Hollywood.

Although he admits he felt fear and nervousness at first, but the scale of the project weighed more, being able to work with Andrea Domenico – “a wonderful director” – and the script, which “had everything you could dream of as an actor”.

Controversy because it is not an American who plays Marilyn Monroe

An election, that of Ana de Armas, which created controversy in the United States because it was not an American who embodied one of the greatest myths that American cinema has given.

To this Dominic clearly answers. Ana de Armas «she was the person who could do it best. You need someone who looks like Marilyn Monroewhich draws all the attention around him “, the New Zealand director explains to EFE.

“It must be someone who has some kind of magical thing that you can tell everyone is attracted to, like moths to a flame.” And this was found in the Hispanic actress. Your accent? “It doesn’t bother me, does it? I think if you want to hear an accent, you do.”

Controversy aside, what is clear is that Ana de Armas’s transformation into Marilyn is amazing and, in the film, the actress’s whispers transport the viewer to that moment when the golden blonde at the cinema sang “Happy Birthday” to her. To President John Fitzgerlad Kennedy.

And that Ana de Armas did not know Marilyn nor had she read the Joyce Carol Oates novel from which the film is based.

It was like a discovery, little by little, through the project. Then came the novel and all the studies Andrew had done, my research and watching his films. It was all a process of discovering the character and Norma Jean of both, ”explains the actress.

Because Blonde talks more about “the meaning of Marilyn Monroe, how we should think of her” because, like the books written by Gloria Steinem or Norman Mailer, the film “is like a rescue fantasy, it’s that feeling that if I was there , I would have understood her, I could have saved her ”, explains Dominik.

A film that unfolds through the actress’s intimate moments, her marriages with Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller – the first, with James Dougherty, of course – or her alleged threesome with Charlie Chaplin jr and Edward G. Robinson jr. Without forgetting her most famous lover, Kennedy.

A lot of intimate and sex scenes in the film, although for Ana de Armas the most complicated thing was the emotional part. The actress has worked hard to get to that point where “the vulnerabilities and darker sides of frailty are shown” of a star of Marilyn Monroe’s stature.

To achieve that identification with the character, the flawless characterization was very important, transforming the young actress into an exact copy of the iconic Marilyn.

“The first time I saw myself completely transformed into character was a very special moment,” says De Armas, who continues to be surprised every time he sees a Blonde poster with his face on it. “It’s a dream,” he adds of a film that will be premiered Netflix on September 28.

And about the future, he says what matters most to him is working with talented directors. “I think directors at this level have great stories and are also interested in working with actors.” And he looks for a character who is a challenge, who surprises you, because “they almost always offer you things similar to the last thing you did”.