In “Ana de Armas: 3 things to know about the heroine of The Gray Man and to Blonde,” Violaine Schütz explores details of Ana de Armas’ life Number magazine.
Havana-born Cuban-Spanish actress Ana de Armas is carving out a place for herself in the Hollywood sun. After starting her career in Cuba and Madrid, she impressed with her sexy and muscular appearances in Blade Runner 2049 (2017) and Death can wait (2021) is, at the age of 34, one of the most recognizable names – both on the small and big screens. A summary of what you need to know about the heroine of The Gray ManNetflix’s new action blockbuster, and which will soon appear in the long-awaited and sultry fictional film dedicated to Marilyn Monroe, Blondeeven on the broadcast platform.
A childhood away from the glitz of Hollywood
Born in Havana, Cuba, Ana Celia de Armas Caso had a childhood far from the lights and glitz of Hollywood. Unlike many future actors who are child stars or have famous parents, cinema did not run through her veins. Her father, who studied philosophy at a Soviet university, was a teacher, bank director, school principal and deputy mayor, while her mother held a position in human resources at the Ministry of Education. As a child, Ana de Armas lived for many years with her grandparents in Havana, while her parents and brother, who lived in the coastal town of Santa Cruz del Norte, came to visit her only once a week.
Due to the economic crisis (known as the “Special Period in a Time of Peace”) that erupted in Cuba in the 1990s, following the collapse of the USSR and the cessation of trade support from the socialist bloc, her spartan but happy childhood was marked by food rationing and power cuts, which could last until 4 p.m. This is how she remembers Havana (in the media Journal for men): “I grew up in nature, on the beach and playing in the street with friends. I felt very free. We were completely free here and there before going home for dinner and watching cartoons.” [. . .]
An (inconclusive) acting career in Cuba and Spain
From the age of 14, Ana de Armas hitchhiked to classes at the National Theater of Cuba. Still a student, she was already filming before flying, four years later, to Madrid, with 200 euros in her pocket. The first feature films and the first series of the actress are forgettable, even if they allowed her to be recognized on the streets in Spain. She especially starred in the drama Pink A rose from France (2006); in the teen play set in a Spanish boarding school Internship (2007-2010); and in a coming-of-age comedy: Lies and fat (2009).
After a stay in New York to try to learn English, Ana de Armas changes registration with a dramatic-historical series (Hispania, legendin 2010 and 2011) and a handful of horror films such as Anabel (2015). She then begins to doubt the future of her career, auditions for a theater company in Madrid, and then finds a Hollywood agent before moving to Los Angeles. While speaking the language of Shakespeare very badly, she gets her first role in an American film, alongside Keanu Reeves (who becomes her first guardian angel in the United States) in Eli Roth’s horror erotic thriller. Knock Knock (2015). [. . .]
An Explosive Hollywood Rise
In Hollywood, the first to learn her lyrics phonetically was, at first, the femme fatale or the often romantic or sexy, devoted femme fatale. Even though she was radiant and charismatic, good roles were not immediately forthcoming for Ana de Armas. But the Cuban-Spanish woman is determined not to allow herself to be imprisoned in the role of a Latin bombshell with the looks of an object. That wasn’t until he starred in Denis Villeneuve’s futuristic metaphysical thriller Blade Runner 2049 (2017), in which the actress excelled in a supporting role. She plays Ryan Gosling’s girlfriend, Joi. Even if Joi is just a hologram born of artificial intelligence, Ana de Armas brings a very fleshy and magnetic dimension to her character.
Now, nothing stops the star in the making who dreams of a career like that of Cate Blanchett, Kate Winslet, Meryl Streep or Penelope Cruz. She proves that she has depth in her role as an immigrant nurse Knives out (2019), starring Daniel Craig; and exudes a macabre charm in Olivier Assayas’ spy thriller Cuban Network (2019). But she’s like a James Bond girl There is no time to die that it explodes. In a short evening dress, she plays Paloma, a secret CIA agent whose stunts are nothing to envy the film’s male heroes. The intense athletic training she undergoes for this blockbuster will serve the actress well for her athletic and “badass” role in Netflix’s new big-budget blockbuster. the gray man, alongside Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans.
Now all eyes are on her who took on the role of Marilyn Monroe in the imagined biopic and now controversial (due to its sex scenes, which are considered shocking) Blonde, based on the best-selling book by Joyce Carol Oates. We will have to wait until September 28, 2022, to find out if, despite the apparent lack of similarity between the two actresses, the young Hollywood sweetheart, who worked for a year with a diction coach, managed to capture the essence – sublime and innocent – of the icon of the 50s.
The Gray Man (2022) by Mark Greaney and Joe Russo, available on Netflix. Andrew Dominik’s Blonde will be available on September 28, 2022.
Translated by Ivette Romero. For the full, original article, see https://www.numero.com/fr/cinema/ana-de-armas-blonde-the-gray-man-ryan-gosling-james-bond-daniel-craig
[Photo above by Samir Hussein/WireImage via Getty Images: Ana de Armas in The Gray Man; London, July 19, 2022.]
