Marilyn Monroe’s official estate has come out to defend Ana de Armas, who plays Andrew Dominic, and Hollywood icon in Netflix’s upcoming drama ‘Blonde’. After the film’s official trailer was released recently, many viewers expressed their outrage at Armas’ casting because his accent didn’t quite match Monroe’s iconic breath-taking tone.
According to Variety, although “Blonde” isn’t authorized by Monroe’s estate, the group still stands by the casting of de Armas. “Marilyn Monroe is a singular Hollywood and pop culture icon, spanning generations and history,” said Mark Rosen, president of entertainment at Authentic Brands Group (ABG), which owns the Marilyn Monroe estate. He continued, “Any actor who steps into that role knows they have big shoes to fill. Based on the trailer alone, it looks like Anna was a great casting choice because she’s in for Marilyn’s glamour, humanity. and captures vulnerability. We can’t wait to see the movie in its entirety!”
Most complaints about de Armas’ casting noted that he retained his Cuban accent, which was not Monroe’s voice. De Armas told an entertainment magazine in 2020 that Dominic’s decision to cast the Cuban actor as an American icon was “unprecedented”.
“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 the magazine, reports Variety. She continued, “Producers. People with money. I always have people I need to convince. But I knew I could do it. Playing Marilyn was phenomenal. A Cuban made Marilyn Monroe Played the role. I wanted it so badly. You look at that famous photo of her and she’s smiling at the moment, but that’s just a piece of what she was really doing at the time.”
about the blonde
‘Blonde’ Joyce is based on the novel by Carol Oates. The play retells Monroe’s life from her volatile childhood through her rise to stardom as Norma Jean. The supporting cast includes Bobby Cannavale, Adrien Brody, Julian Nicholson, Xavier Samuel and Evan Williams. The film will debut in competition at the Venice Film Festival and will later release globally on September 28, according to Variety.
– with ani input