Ana de Armas hits back at doubters after Marilyn Monroe role

Ana de Armas may be one of Hollywood’s most sought-after actresses, but she insists she still feels the pressure to prove she deserves her place at the top.

The 37-year-old star, who made history as the first Cuban actress nominated for an Oscar for her haunting portrayal of Marilyn Monroe in Blonde, admitted at the Red Sea Film Festival that some people still see her achievement as “a fluke.”

Speaking to director Andrew Dominik for Variety, Ana revealed just how hard she fought for the role that transformed her career. 

“A Cuban playing Marilyn Monroe is very strange,” she said. 

“My accent was a disaster at first… but Andrew knew I was the one. It was the scariest thing I’ve ever done — a beautiful, delicious torture.”

Despite global acclaim, she confessed she senses a lingering doubt around her.

“There’s still this feeling of having to prove myself again,” she shared.

And her whirlwind schedule didn’t help, as she wrapped Blonde on a Friday and was on the No Time To Die set by Monday, with traces of Monroe still slipping into her Bond girl, Paloma. 

But Ana has no regrets about the role that introduced her to a worldwide audience.

Playing a Cuban CIA agent was an honour she jumped at. “Representing my country was bigger than everything,” she said. 

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