“It was great torture, so exhausting,” she said of taking on the screen icon.
While Netflix’s 2021 lineup of original films includes such big hits as Adam McKay’s star-studded comedy “Don’t Look Up”, one of the most anticipated titles for indie moviegoers is undoubtedly Andrew Dominik’s “Blonde” . The long-awaited biographical drama by Marilyn Monroe is based on the 2000 novel by Joyce Carol Oates, which presents a fictional look at the inner life of the Hollywood icon. The project is the first narrative feature in nine years by director Dominik of “The Assassination of Jesse James” and “Killing Them Softly”, who chose De Armas to be its protagonist. In an interview with The Times of London, the actress said she spent almost an entire year perfecting Monroe’s accent.
“I tried! It took me only nine months of dialect and practice training, and a few ADR sessions [rerecording dialogue after filming], ”De Armas said about getting his voice right. “It was a great torture, so exhausting. My brain was fried. “
As for how it was to play Monroe in a broader sense, de Armas added: “I had a lot of thoughts as a woman in the industry, and even in general, about how things from the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s are so related to today. And how, if you don’t have a strong base, with your family and so on, it’s very difficult to survive – very difficult. ”
De Armas’ career has been on the rise in recent years, from his role as a supporting role in “Blade Runner 2049” to his Golden Globe nominated performance in “Knives Out” by Rian Johnson. De Armas also plays a key role in James Bond’s next pillar, “No Time to Die”, which was once again postponed to November 2021 because of the pandemic. “Blonde” gives de Armas the chance to lead her biggest project to date, and she is well aware of what it means to be a Cuban actress in the role of one of Hollywood’s most recognizable stars.
“I only had to audition for Marilyn once and Andrew said ‘It’s you’, but I had to audition for everyone else,” de Armas told Vanity Fair last year. “The producers. The money people. I always have people I need to convince. But I knew I could do that. Playing Marilyn was innovative. A Cuban playing Marilyn Monroe. I wanted it so badly. You see that famous photo of her and she’s smiling at right now, but that’s just part of what she was really going through at the time. ”
De Armas is not the only actress who has spent a lot of time perfecting the accent of a famous real-life figure. Kristen Stewart is set to go into production on Pablo Larraín’s Princess Diana drama “Spencer” this year, and told InStyle last fall that getting the accent right was a constant challenge.
“The accent is intimidating as hell because people know that voice, and it is so, so distinct and particular,” said Stewart. “I’m working on it now and I already have my dialect trainer.”
Netflix has yet to announce a release date for “Blonde”. The film is due to arrive in the fall as part of the streaming giant’s 2021-22 award list.
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