Ana De Armas Sees Blonde As An Opportunity To Pave The Way For Other Actors
While Netflix's Marilyn Monroe biopic has been mired with both delays and controversy for what seems like forever, there's at least one thing that everyone can agree on: Ana de Armas is absolutely owning her portrayal of the icon. Fans have only been granted glimpses of de Armas as Monroe, but her brief work in the very first teaser for "Blonde" is nothing short of jaw-dropping.
The actor has reportedly poured her heart and soul into "Blonde," training with a vocal coach for nine months in order to lock into Monroe's breathy register, spending upwards of three hours in the makeup chair every day, and recording hours of ADR after shooting wrapped. It was "big torture," de Armas told The Times, but the effect was clearly worth it.
However you feel about the film, it's hard not to root for de Armas — the Oscar campaign starts when? — especially considering the new precedent it could set for more inclusive casting in Hollywood. It's not every day that a young woman born in Cuba is tapped to play the epitome of all that it means to be white, blonde, and beautiful (though Monroe did, apparently, have ties to Latine culture). And de Armas definitely doesn't take this responsibility lightly. Though she has acknowledged that the choice doesn't always fall to her, the actor is more than ready to throw her weight around where she can — especially when it comes to opening the door for others like her.
'Diversity has become a must'
More often than not, the push for diversity in Hollywood often rests with directors or producers, but de Armas has been noticing that push more frequently now. "I feel like it's coming from filmmakers, that diversity has become a must," the actor recently told Elle. "It's definitely changing; it's getting better. But it's hard to know now, being in my position, because I know it's not the same for everybody ... The problem is that sometimes you don't even get to the room with the director to sit down and prove yourself."
Fortunately for de Armas, one meeting with "Blonde" director Andrew Dominik was enough to prove she was capable. "I only had to audition for Marilyn once and Andrew said 'It's you,'" she told Vanity Fair in 2020. "But I had to audition for everyone else. The producers. The money people. I always have people I needed to convince."
But now that she has, de Armas hopes her role will help make things easier for other actors of color looking to do the same. "I do want to play Latina. But I don't want to put a basket of fruit on my head every single time," she explained. "So that's my hope, that I can show that we can do anything if we're given the time to prepare, and if we're given just the chance, just the chance. You can do any film — 'Blonde' — you can do anything."