One of Paloma's most memorable lines in No Time To Die was actually an Ana de Armas in-joke. After numerous COVID-19-related delays, No Time To Die was finally released in theaters last October. Directed by franchise-newcomer Cary Joji Fukunaga, the film scored strong box-office numbers and generally positive reviews, proving to be a worthy send-off for Daniel Craig's Bond.
Although Craig earned strong praise for his final appearance as 007, it was de Armas' role as Paloma that has since become a fan-favorite. Appearing in only a small portion of the film, the bubbly, seemingly inexperienced Paloma acts as Bond's contact in Cuba, helping him to infiltrate a highly secure SPECTRE meeting. When things go south, Paloma, who claims to have only had three weeks of training, proves that she is more than capable of holding her own, taking down a handful of bad guys in one of the film's more memorable action sequences. Paloma's brief but energetic and exciting appearance in the film has even led some fans to express hope for a spinoff movie focusing on the character.
In a new interview with Variety, de Armas reveals that one of her best lines from the movie was actually an in-joke with Fukunaga. Shortly after meeting Bond in Cuba, Paloma excitedly announces that she's only had three weeks of training, which was actually how long the actor trained for the movie in real life. After continually expressing doubt to Fukunaga that she could convincingly pull off the action scenes with her limited three weeks of training, the director suggested that she mention that in the film. Check out de Armas' full comment below:
I kept telling Cary, ‘I just have three weeks of training’ and I said it so many times he said, ‘Say that in the movie.’
Paloma's line about her training in No Time To Die is a funny moment of levity in what is otherwise a more serious Bond entry, but it also makes it all the more surprising when she starts dispatching SPECTRE henchmen with ease. Behind-the-scenes videos of de Armas give audiences a sneak peek at her stunt training, showing the actor shooting guns and engaging in hand-to-hand combat with stuntmen. Although the actor may have felt underprepared for her action sequences, she undoubtedly pulled them off in the end.
Considering the final results in No Time To Die and de Armas' convincing fight scenes, it's surprising that the actor only had three weeks' worth of training. Part of what makes de Armas' Paloma such a memorable character is her apparent inexperience and her bubbly persona in the face of danger, something that de Armas' "three weeks of training" line perfectly captures. If Paloma ever does get her very own No Time To Die spinoff movie, hopefully de Armas gets as much training time as she feels she needs in order to be prepared.
Source: Variety