Ana de Armas says the cast and crew of blond Marilyn treated Monroe’s ghost with the utmost respect while filming the upcoming psychological drama – and that started with asking the star for her permission.
“We got this big card and everyone in the crew wrote her a message. Then we went to the cemetery and put it on her grave. We asked for permission in a way‘, the Armas told AnOther Magazine for their latest cover story.
The actress, who received a 14-minute standing ovation for her portrayal of the late Monroe at the film’s premiere, says the responsibility of telling the story of the legendary bombshell was something everyone on set took seriously.
“Everyone felt a huge responsibility and we were very aware of the side of the story we were going to tell – the story of Norma Jeane, the person behind this character, Marilyn Monroe. Who was she really?”
That’s the question posed in the Andrew Dominik-directed film, which explores the dissonance between Norma Jeane Baker and her famous sex symbol alter ego.
“The more famous Marilyn became, the more invisible Norma Jeane became — Norma was this person no one has ever met,” de Armas said of the explicit film, which earned an NC-17 rating. “And Marilyn was someone she spoke of herself in the third person. In a way Marilyn saved her, gave her a life, but at the same time she became her prison.’
The Armas says blond Role was emotionally challenging: ‘I would just start sobbing’
While de Armas was praised by critics for her touching, realistic portrayal in the film, the Cuban actress says Monroe’s role was emotionally heavy.
“Don’t get me wrong, I was having so much fun. For nine weeks I had no character, not between shots, not on my lunch break. I was Ana. But emotionally? The weight of it definitely stuck with me,” she said.
Because of her intense preparation for the film, de Armas said there was “no way to disconnect” from the role of Monroe and she often found the emotional weight transferring into her personal life.
“I don’t want it to seem like I’m saying ‘Marilyn and I were connected’ – not at all. But I thought about her so much, some days I would go home to eat and wash the dishes while I was washing I just started sobbing, crying and crying, because I had a terrible feeling — I knew I couldn’t fix it,” she added.
blond will be available to stream on Netflix on September 28.