The Marilyn Monroe Estate is responding to a backlash against Ana de Armas following the premiere of the first official trailer for Blonde. The Golden Globe nominee is starring as the Hollywood icon in the upcoming Netflix drama, which will have its worldwide premiere on the platform on September 28. Based on the novel of the same name, Blonde reimagines the life of Marilyn Monroe from her stormy childhood through her rise to becoming one of the most famous and beloved symbols of the American 20th century.
De Armas previously revealed to The Times of London that she spent almost a year working on Monroe's accent and signature breathy tone before filming began. She described the grueling process as "big torture," noting that her "brain was fried" after more than nine months of dialect coaching and ADR sessions. When Blonde's trailer finally dropped on July 28, many outraged complaints said that de Armas didn't sound like Monroe and had retained her Cuban accent despite her preparation for the role.
While Monroe's estate does not officially authorize Blonde, they have quickly voiced support for de Armas' casting in the film. Marc Rosen, president of entertainment at Authentic Brands Group, which owns the Marilyn Monroe Estate, calls de Armas "a great casting choice" and defends her portrayal of the star with a slew of other praises. Read his full statement to Variety below:
“Marilyn Monroe is a singular Hollywood and pop culture icon that transcends generations and history. Any actor that steps into that role knows they have big shoes to fill. 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!”
Playing a cultural icon is a risky career move for any actor, regardless of experience or credentials. The risk increases significantly when most of the world's population knows the role in question. No actor stepping into shoes so large is immune to intense scrutiny – earlier this year, Viola Davis, widely regarded as one of the brightest Hollywood talents alive right now, was heavily criticized for her portrayal of Michelle Obama in Showtime's The First Lady. De Armas' career is far younger than actors as seasoned as Davis, leaving more room for doubters to question her ability to pull off a role like Marilyn Monroe.
De Armas has said it only took one audition for director Andrew Dominik to hand her the part. From there, she had to convince those she called "the money people," the film's producers and financial backers from the studio. She said she knew the whole time that she could do it, and now her name goes down on the short list of brave stars who have brought Marilyn Monroe back to the big screen. Hopefully, when Blonde hits Netflix on September 28, de Armas proves to everybody else that she was right.
Source: Variety