Superstar Ana de Armas said she did things she “would have never done for anyone else” in her portrayal of the late Marilyn Monroe in her upcoming film “Blonde.”
During the 34-year-old actress’ interview with Variety magazine, the “Knives Out” star talked about her portrayal of the screen legend’s short life, including depictions of sexual violence and degradation in the NC-17 film.
“I did things in this movie I would have never done for anyone else, ever,” Ana explained. “I did it for her [Marilyn], and I did it for Andrew [Dominik].”
“We’re telling her story,” she added. “From her point of view. I’m making people feel what she felt. When we had to shoot these kinds of scenes, like the one with [President John F.] Kennedy, it was difficult for everybody. But at the same time, I knew I had to go there to find the truth.”
The scene mentioned included Kennedy, played by Caspar Phillipson, forcing her character to perform oral sex on him.
De Armas talked about working with Dominik, the film’s director, and said he took time to build trust between them for those difficult scenes.
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“I felt from the beginning how much respect he had for Marilyn,” the actress shared. “You don’t pursue and fight so hard for something for over 10 years if you don’t really believe in that. He was so passionate and sure.”
At one point, she briefly talked about her experience with paparazzi focused on her brief romance in 2020 with actor Ben Affleck, something she brought back to Marilyn’s experience.
“I have never been someone that wants any attention that’s not about my work,” De Armas shared. “So when the attention is not about my work, it is upsetting, and it feels disrespectful, and it feels inappropriate, and it feels dangerous and unsafe. But, especially in this country, I don’t know how you can find protection. I don’t know how you can stop that from happening, other than leaving.”
“It was one of the things that brought me closer to Marilyn,” she added. “Monroe was, after all, serious about performing, even as she was only seen as an object. She loved what she did. She loved the profession, and she respected it very much. She just didn’t receive that back.”
The movie, based on author Joyce Carol Oates’ 1999 book by the same name, hits Netflix on September 23.