Netflix's new Marilyn Monroe biopic Blonde has been making headlines for a few reasons, and star Ana de Armas herself is adding to all the buzz with some of her recent comments.
Leading lady de Armas seems to be very proud of the upcoming Netflix movie, taking time to describe a lot of her acting process when crafting this performance. The film, based on Joyce Carol Oates's novel of the same name, is about the life of the Hollywood icon, but the events are largely fictionalized.
de Armas claims to Entertainment Weekly that she spent a year preparing for the role of Monroe, mastering all aspects, including her accent, as well as reading up on the iconic actress. She also describes the filming of Blonde as very intense, with a non-stop three-month shooting schedule. de Armas goes on to give immense praise to the film's director, Andrew Dominik. She calls him a genius and one of the best filmmakers she's ever worked with. Previously, Dominik had directed the Oscar-nominated 2007 film The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. She also claims that Blonde is a special film and the most beautiful project she's ever worked on.
Though the Cuban actress has been working ever since she was a teen in her home country, it's only in recent years that she's made waves in American cinema. Her first English role was in the Eli Roth-directed erotic thriller Knock Knock, which co-starred Keanu Reeves, and she went on to star in Blade Runner 2049. It was her role in Knives Out, however, that really got people talking and even earned her a Golden Globe nomination. It's been a series of high-profile roles for her ever since, including being the latest Bond girl in No Time To Die.
While there's a lot of hype and buzz around Blonde, it's not without controversy. The film is the first Netflix Original to obtain an NC-17 rating. The use of NC-17 is often related to graphic nudity or explicit sexual scenes, which some are speculating may be related to a story of one of Monroe's first Hollywood auditions where she was sexually assaulted. Scenes like this being shown too graphically are often flagged for being triggering, and lacking taste. Alongside de Armas stars Adrien Brody, Bobby Cannavale, and Julianne Nicholson.
Blonde will be streaming on Netflix in 2022.
Source: Entertainment Weekly