Marilyn Monroe’s estate reacted to the backlash over the casting of Cuban/Spanish actress Ana de Armas as the Hollywood icon in the new biopic about the screen legend’s short life in “Blonde.”
Marc Rosen, the President of Entertainment at Authentic Brands Group, which owns the Marilyn Monroe Estate, weighed in on the 34-year-old actress landing the role of Monroe, as well as the reaction on social media to the star’s accent in the trailer for the upcoming Netflix movie, Variety reported in a piece published Monday.
“Marilyn Monroe is a singular Hollywood and pop culture icon that transcends generations and history,” Rosen shared.
“Any actor that steps into that role knows they have big shoes to fill,” he added. “Based on the trailer alone, it looks like Ana was a great casting choice as she captures Marilyn’s glamour, humanity and vulnerability. We can’t wait to see the film in its entirety!”
The Marilyn Monroe Estate was not involved in the making of #Blonde, but it's sticking up for Ana de Armas' casting: "Based on the trailer alone, it looks like Ana was a great casting choice as she captures Marilyn’s glamour, humanity and vulnerability." https://t.co/q8V7d36pGW
— Variety (@Variety) August 2, 2022
After the trailer dropped on July 28, many took to social media to express their frustration that de Armas’ accent didn’t match that of the late Hollywood legend, Page Six noted.
The “No Time To Die” star previously spoke about the amount of work she put in to get Monroe’s voice right.
“It took me nine months of dialect coaching, and practicing and some ADR sessions [to get the accent right],” the actress told The Times of London. “It was a big torture, so exhausting. My brain was fried.”
In the trailer that recently dropped for the upcoming NC-17 biopic, the actress looked very similar to the late starlet as de Armas’ character argues she’s still Norma Jeane and that Marilyn Monroe “doesn’t exist,” as The Daily Wire previously reported. The message “watched by all” and “seen by none” comes across the screen.
“I’ve played Marilyn Monroe, Marilyn Monroe, Marilyn Monroe,” de Armas explained. “I can’t face doing another scene with Marilyn Monroe.”
“Marilyn doesn’t exist,” she added. “When I come out of my dressing room, I’m Norma Jeane. I’m still here when the camera is rolling. Marilyn Monroe only exists on the screen.”
WATCH:
The film is based on author Joyce Carol Oates’ 1999 book by the same name.
“The way [former President John F.] Kennedy treated Marilyn Monroe was not, and is still not as different from the way many powerful men, especially in Washington DC, treat all women except their wives,” Oates told Vanity Fair France.
The movie hits the streaming site on September 23.