'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Blonde has been one of the most talked about films of the year. The film, based on the life of the legendary Marilyn Monroe, one of the most celebrated and controversial figures of the 20th century, stars Anna de Armas as the Hollywood icon. The actress has been on a streak of making headlines owing to her portrayal in the film. After a limited release on Friday, September 16, 2022, Blonde is set to premiere globally on Wednesday, September 28, 2022.
In a recent interview with TODAY, the actress revealed her wonder and amazement at seeing herself for the first time as the wondrous beauty who captured the heart of the entire globe. Armas also addressed how the criticism surrounding her accent in the film did not bother her. She has also spoken about discovering not only Monroe but also Norma Jeane in the process.
Blonde is directed by Andrew Dominik and is based on a novel by Joyce Carol Oates.
Ana de Armas recalls her time as Marilyn Monroe ahead of Blonde (2022)
One of the earliest criticisms to surface when Blonde was announced was that not many expected Ana de Armas to portray one of the most significant figures of the century. The native Cuban, who kickstarted her career with Una Rosa de Francia, was understandably far from what people had imagined when they thought of any actor essaying the role of Marilyn Monroe. However, it turned out she was the one who could embody it to its essence.
Anna de Armas revealed that she was full of wonder when she first saw herself as Marilyn Monroe. She even claimed that "it felt like she was back." Anna wasn't the only one who felt this way. She recalled:
"Everyone in the room started crying, I can tell you that, . . . It was very emotional. It felt like she was back."
Those who know about Monroe also know that she did not have an easy life. Ana de Armas spoke at length about the stress of portraying the Hollywood starlet and how it was emotionally "exhausting." After struggling to embody the character for nearly nine weeks, the actress also wondered how difficult it must have been for Monroe to live with this pressure all her life. Ana said:
"I just cannot imagine what it was like to be her for 36 years."
More about Blonde and Ana de Armas
Blonde is not strictly based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. It is more of a "perception." It nearly follows the same trajectory as the 2000 novel of the same name. Ana explained:
"I feel like the movie shows the other side of that and the price that you pay for that, . . . People wanted Marilyn, they wanted that product. She had to keep delivering that because the opposite was nothing. She was nothing else. She was not considered anything else."
The actress concluded the interview by saying how proud she was of portraying the iconic personality. She also revealed how her friends and family, even back in Cuba, were proud of her upcoming project:
"The other day, a classmate from my drama school, he had posted this picture and he said something like, ‘Remember Ana, when we were all together studying and having dreams, now she’s about to do the impossible: She’s about to play Marilyn Monroe in this movie and we should all be so proud of her."
Blonde will release on Netflix on September 28, 2022.
