Ana de Armas, a BAFTA nominee, has revealed that embracing her own insecurities was instrumental in her portrayal of Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe in the upcoming Netflix biopic ‘Blonde’. The film follows Marilyn Monroe’s life, from her early days as Norma Jeane Mortenson to becoming a global superstar. Although Marilyn was one of the most famous people in the world during her lifetime from 1926 to 1962, Ana has also experienced intense public attention in recent years. This shared experience enabled her to connect with the Hollywood icon and channel her while playing the role.

In a recent episode of the Backstage podcast, Ana disclosed, “Feeling nervous, feeling insecure, feeling at times I was not as good as I wanted to, feeling judged, all of those things that I was feeling worked, so I used them in the same way.” She added, “I don’t think Norma ever felt that she could live up to Marilyn, she didn’t even understand the way people could see Marilyn. In a way those were the things that were happening to me. I felt that is exactly like she felt her entire life, and I’ve been through that.”

In addition to her role in ‘Blonde’, Ana has also gained recognition for her performances in several other films, including the murder-mystery movie ‘Knives Out’, co-starring Bond actor Daniel Craig, and the 2021 James Bond film ‘No Time to Die’, in which she played the character Paloma. Although her personal life also drew attention during her highly-publicized relationship with Ben Affleck, which lasted from March 2020 to January 2021, Ana continues to receive widespread acclaim for her acting skills and is a rising star in Hollywood.