Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist - Ana De Armas (September 2022)

Episode Date: January 29, 2023

In the movie Blonde, Ana De Armas is in every scene playing the lead role of Marilyn Monroe. Director Andrew Dominik has been developing the fictionalized movie, based on a novel, for more than a decade. He cast De Armas as the lead seven years ago when he saw the actress in her first-ever English language film. In the time since, she caught the attention of wider audiences and critics especially with her performance in the popular 2019 movie Knives Out. In this week's "Sunday Sitdown" Willie Geist gets together with De Armas just before the premiere of her latest film to talk about what it took to play Monroe and the path that got her here. (Original broadcast date: September 18, 2022)  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey guys, Willie Geist here with another episode of the Sunday Sit Down podcast. My thanks as always for clicking and listening along. I am very excited to bring you my conversation today with the incredibly talented actress Anaday Armis. Perhaps you got to know her first in Knives Out, the hit 2019 movie where she played Nurse Marta in that incredible ensemble cast. And even among those actors, she stood out. She was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Act. actress. She's been in No Time to Die, the Bond movie. She's been in Blade Runner 2049. And in this year's The Grey Man, all big budget kind of action blockbusters that have made her a star and now taken her to the place where she's standing on her own playing Marilyn Monroe in the new movie that has a lot of people talking. It's called Blonde. It is based on a novel of about 20 years ago by Joyce Carol Oates. So it's a somewhat fictionalized interpretation of Marilyn Monroe's life. It is a difficult movie. It's a challenging movie. It's hard to watch sometime. It's uncomfortable, but it is explosive. And she is so good. She looks so much like Marilyn Monroe. And she is in

every frame of this movie. So she really had to get into it. She really had to get it right. And it is tough. So I'm looking forward to bringing you this conversation because maybe you've seen some clips. Maybe you've seen the trailer. Now you get to hear the full story. And her story, she was born in Havana, Cuba was Ana De Armas. grew up in a small town outside the city. She hitchhiked to theater school when she was a teenager, got really good at it, moved to Spain to become an actor. Did entirely find what she wanted there. So in 2014, she took the leap and moved to Los Angeles, not speaking English, and began auditioning for movies, teaching herself English phonetically and eventually landing a role in a movie called Knock Knock with Keanu Reeves

and her career took off from there. So she is really interesting to talk to not just about this movie with director Andrew Dominic. This whole idea is his. This interpretation of the novel is his, this portrayal of Marilyn Monroe is his idea, but it's Anaday Armis who steps in and plays it. A great conversation with Anaday Armis right now on the Sunday Sit Down podcast. So tell me how you're feeling on the eve of the release of this project that you've given so much of your energy and emotion and time to. What does it feel like? It feels, I'm very excited. I'm very excited.

I'm very curious about what the reaction is going to be. I feel like, you know, it's been three years since we shot this movie and now it's finally coming out. But it's been a roller coaster of emotions during those three years. when I first saw the movie, when you first share it with your close friends and family, how you feel about it. Every time you watch it,

a different part of the film hits you in a different way. So I've made my... I came to terms with the movie already. I already know how I feel about the movie, how I feel about the experience, what it means to me.

And now it's coming up. out and it's new for all of you. It's not new for me anymore. So I feel like as much as, you know, as excited as I am, I feel like whatever happens is not going to affect how I feel about it and about the work we put in. So, but, but, but finally it's, you know, it's here. Yeah, right. You put, as I said, you put so much into it. I think, To me, the word is stunning. Your performance is stunning. Her life is stunning.

How did you begin to get into this part? As we were just discussing, people have preconceived notions about Marilyn Monroe or they know a few things about her. They know the subway great. They know happy birthday, Mr. President. They know gentlemen prefer blondes. But where did you begin to try to get to know her so you could play this part? I mean, I think the beginning of it all was just,

trying to learn everything that Andrew had been working on for over 10 years. Absorbing all of that passion, first of all, and all of that information and knowledge that he has. And then I started with the book. I started with her films, pictures, a photographic Bible that Andrew gave every department and myself. with the entire film in images. So it was kind of like a slow process of discovering who not just the movie star was, but who was Norma Jean.

So it was just a lot of, you know, conversations and just questioning everything pretty much, trying to dig and, you know, unfail, like, all these things that were there, not so much about what we already knew about Maryland. So it was very interesting. It was very revelatory, like a lot of things. I just didn't know that much about her. I'm Cuban.

I saw maybe a few movies of her, some pictures for sure, but I just didn't know that much. So everything was a big discovery. was very new. I feel very new. So given that you didn't know much about her, when someone came to you and said, they're making a movie of this book, Blonde, and they're thinking about you for Marilyn Monroe, this iconic figure,

what was your reaction at first? Well, first of all, Andrew saw me when I did knock-knock. And right away, he called my agent and told him, this girl, you know, I want her to be Marilyn. Wow. And my agent was like, she doesn't speak English. What are you talking about? So I think Andrew put that aside for three years.

And then, you know, three years later, he called my agent again, hey, this actress, I'm still thinking about her. Can I see her? So they sent me the script. And I made with Andrew like the day or two days after. And the first thing I told him was, is this a horror movie or what is going on? And he was like, kind of. You know, pretty much. And that was the beginning of, you know, understanding

what he wanted to do with this film. What was his intention and what was the lens that we were telling this film through. One of the things that the viewer has to keep in mind, and I imagine you had to keep in mind, is that it's based on this novel by Joyce Carol Oates from about 20 years ago that's fictionalized in some places.

So you're working through what part of this is real and what part of this is fictionalized. So as an actor, how did you work through that? Do you just stay true to the script? Or did you have to, was that difficult in any way? I think the, you know, the movie is not necessarily, it's chronological and it doesn't follow. isn't kind of like there isn't an order for the events necessarily but there is an emotional order

there is a clear direction where we're going towards so what was real what really happened the facts those were important we wanted to be truth to that but the other parts i mean we were just trying to be consistent with her emotions so if We were consistent with that and I was just focusing on my truth or her truth. I don't know if I'm making sense of what I'm saying. No, I understand what you mean. No, because people will say, oh, it's just a biopic about Marilyn Monroe. It's not necessarily.

It's not. It's not. But it is emotionally truth. Right. Yeah. No, I understand what you're saying. I mean, it's reflective of what she was feeling and going through in her life. Yes.

say that the director said this is kind of a horror movie because right from the outset it does feel that way but as you say that's the reality of what her life was as a child and it felt like she was fighting every day of her life even at the height of her fame everything was a fight for her yeah I think for sure she was a she she was trying to survive at all times dealing with you know with situations that whether it got to a point, I think, in my opinion, that sometimes she was in a horrible situation that she needed to get out of. Sometimes she wasn't and she unconsciously maybe created that situation to just be saved because that was a familiar feeling. That's what you wanted.

Sometimes you just, sometimes you want, you, you want to. attention you need attention and you get it not from the right people or in the right way but it's a tension that you need and and that can be interpreted as love desire you know success all of that but at the bottom of it what she needed was to feel to be seen yeah Yeah, I mean, it feels like even when she was the famous Marilyn Monroe, she was mistreated. It's interesting to hear you say that she sort of sought out conflict maybe in some ways. But you would think a star of her stature was living this glamorous life on the outside.

But even at home and in her relationships, it was always, there was always conflict. Yeah. There was always strife in her life. Yeah. I mean, I think that the movie does present this, you know, idea of the perception that we have of success and fame and glamour and you know having you know someone that we idolize and we kind of like you know look up to and we want to you know find inspiration from and and do what she's doing and get there you know it feel like in the movie

shows the other side of that and the price that you pay for that. And what the true of her life and the industry and the people she was surrounded by was like, which I think is very different to what we think it was. I mean, she was disrespected right until the end, even though she was a star. I mean, she was fighting to be considered, you know, a serious actress. She just kept asking for it.

over and over and over again, but that's not what was, that was not the demand. That's not what was expected. People wanted Maryland, they wanted that product. That's what, you know, she had to keep delivering that because the opposite was, you know, nothing. She was nothing else. She was not considered anything else. So, I mean, just to watch you perform for those couple of hours, And as I said, you're in every frame of every scene of this entire movie. I was just thinking, my God, what a performance. But number two, how draining it must have been. Oh, yeah.

Because truly, I mean, she's always under some kind of stress or in some kind of pain or the victim of violence in some way. What was that like for you to live that way? I was hair for nine weeks, and I can tell you. It was exhausting. I just cannot imagine what it was like to just, you know, be her. for 36 years. I mean, there was something,

there was something really interesting that Andrew told me, and I think it was kind of like something that really stayed with me throughout the whole filming. And, you know, he said, you're not allowed to express anger or rage. She cannot do that. So you have to find out other ways to make it through life and situations and to solve problems with anything else.

Any place you want to go, you go except for anger and rage. So that alone, having that limitation. And I personally think that expressing anger and rage is, extremely important for people, especially when it comes to the time of setting boundaries, which is something that she didn't have as well. Yes. So that alone, trying to contain that your entire life. This is not someone that we're talking about when she was already Maryland.

She was a child. Containing that, it's already so exhausting and draining. and trying to just make it out, you know, certain situations with some dignity and the willingness to just keep going. It's just, it was a very powerful note for Andrew, I mean, from Andrew to me that I, that it really served me. you know when I was just trying to make sense of

what was happening so what did you take that to mean as an actor because for her she had to put all that anger and rage away he was still there but she had to have a smile on her face and be Marilyn Monroe so as an actor how did you perceive that note? I think the same

thing I feel like many times during this process I've failed I learned how to use what I was going through and use it in her, you know, for her benefit, for the character. Many times I was insecure,

many times I feel observed or watched, or at least that's what I thought was happening. On set, you mean. Yeah. Yeah. I was very self-conscious about my voice and the accent and just being her.

I mean, I was acting next to incredible actors. And I was, you know, if I would let it, you know, get in my head, I was just, I would go crazy on set. And Andrew every time, you know, he's very perceptive, he will come to me and tell

me, that's it. That is how show is feeling. So more. And I was like, more, but I hate this. I'm sweating. I'm like, I'm dying here. And he was more. more. So even though it was a performance

or a role that seems very specific and detailed, I have never had more freedom with my feelings and my emotions and the places I could go. Because, yeah, when you put a, you know, when you have a dead end here, then there's only one place you go and then you have to you have to expand somehow

and then you find new things that you didn't know you had you know you could feel so but that all that only happened because of Andrew he's trust in me and his his you know he's just fearless he just doesn't

he doesn't shy away from anything and when I you know it was so incredible to see that that I was like I'm not shying away either. I'm going for this. You know, if you're going, I'm going. Right.

So it was kind of like we just really, you know, we hold each other's hand and we're, you know, let's jump. Let's just go for it. And it needed it. It had to be that way. It had to be that way to find that truth, to find the humanity in this woman that no one has pay attention before, I think. You mentioned that breathy voice. everyone is so familiar with and the look and everything else.

Yeah. And people are familiar with it. They know what she sounds like. So how hard did you have to work? Not just to get the accent, but the way she speaks. Yeah, that's the thing. First of all, I think people are familiar with the on-screen voice. Right.

Which from movie to movie also changed. So she didn't have an off-screen voice. We don't know Norma Jean's voice. And I feel like if someone's voice, you can imitate someone's voice perfectly. You do the perfect accent. And there's no soul in it. There's no, you can't move people. So that was my goal to move people.

And it doesn't matter. I would have, I had like eight, nine months of, you know, accent coaching or voice. I like to say voice because the accent is just one aspect of someone's voice. There's many qualities in someone's voice. It's not just an accent. An accent can change, but the qualities stay there. You know? I don't know if it makes sense.

No, I understand. So to me, I could have had two years of accent coaching to do her voice. As soon as they say action and I start acting, it's gone. Forgotten. My brain, the other side of my brain takes over, and the accent is just like, you know, gone. And that's how it should be. I cannot be thinking about that.

Right. You know, whatever it is and whatever, you know, if you, in my case, what worked for me, if I connected that voice to what she was feeling and why, the main characteristic of the voice was going to stay because the important thing was the emotion. I don't know if it makes sense.

Yeah, absolutely. And yet it still does sound like her, to your credit. So you capture the emotion of it, but even just objectively comparing it, you got her voice. People will have different opinions about that. Of course they will, but that's life, yeah. But I am, I'm proud of, I'm proud of the result just because I do think it feels real. and I think it's I think it moves people

and you can't you know if you want to see Marilyn Monroe then you should play one of her movies not this one this one you're going to get something else and it's okay the way it is because it is real

if that makes sense Yeah. Yeah. Now, are you one of these actors who you're at the craft services truck ordering a grilled cheese in Marilyn Monroe's voice or no? No. No, no. No, no.

Okay, good. No, no, no. Because what I just, what I, what I, what I was just telling you, it was so, it was just so related to the emotions that, of course, in between takes or when I was in, you know, getting my lunch, I was not Maryland. You know. Some people do that. So, no, no.

You needed a break. It was, it was a lot. I need it. You know, it's a very, it's a, is a, you know, it's a very intense movie. It is, it, there is darkness in it. It is very difficult. It makes people uncomfortable. But the experience was incredible, you know.

And I just don't want to talk about the movie as, you know, with, with the same. in the same tone because the movie is the movie and the way we feel about it and what we did. It's completely different. Everyone was so happy. Everyone was so excited about this film. Everyone was so just, just we got it. The whole crew, they got it, they understood what we were doing. There was so much respect and everyone, you know, was very honored just to be doing this film.

doing this film and yeah it was so I wanted to have fun and enjoy my my cast you know friends and and and and and the crew as much as I could were you able to do that to step out of the intensity of those scenes and just put it leave it on set you need to yeah you have to yeah because I already you know for those nine weeks um yeah I couldn't help it I felt heavy it was intense hence, I was sad. I was deeply sad. So you need to, you know, kind of like balance it out, you know, somehow. And also, you know, she, she is living through it, you know. She's not making herself sad over and over and over again. It's just she's fighting for the opposite. You know, she's trying to make to, to, to find a purpose.

Hey guys, thanks for listening to the Sunday Sit Down podcast. Stick around to hear more from Ana Dayarmus right after the break. Welcome back now more of my conversation with Ana de Armas. There's the voice and then there's the look. And I remember when the trailer first came out. Yeah. Everyone went, whoa, who is that? Anadai Armas. Oh, my gosh. What was that process like for you every day? I understand it was a couple of hours of makeup and hair. Three hours. Three hours? Yeah.

Every time you did it. Kind of, yeah, yeah, yeah. And what did you want to capture? What was important about her look for you? Um, I mean, my hair and makeup team was just incredible. And there was a, there was a quite a process to find what would make me look the most Maryland. And Andrew,

he's so brilliant, he came to one of the hair makeup tests and he was like, there was something quiet that couldn't, wouldn't click. And he was like, you can't apply Maryland's makeup to Anna.

You have to make Anna look like Maryland. And everyone was like, yes, that makes sense. Of course. I am not her. I can't, you know, we didn't have, we didn't use any prosthetics. We didn't do anything. So it was more of trying to, it was not putting her makeup. Yeah, I'm not going to repeat the same thing. But yeah, it was kind of like finding what would make me look like her the most.

And yeah, I had like six different wigs, which was, you know, a lot of fun, just like transition to all those, you know, all those years. and the period and the makeup was incredible. And doing the recreations was very exciting. And, like, you know, it was chilling to do these scenes. You know, it was a lot of work also, like the aging makeup. Those days that some days they were so packed. We had so much to do in one day that some days I had to even go from young Maryland

to older Maryland to maybe the beginning. of Norma Jean with brunette hair. So it was like so many hair and makeup changes in one day. It was kind of like, yeah, all over the place. Do you remember the first time you looked in the mirror and saw yourself as Marilyn? Yeah. What was that like? I don't even know how to describe it.

It was like, you know, everyone in the room started crying. I can tell you that. It was very emotional. It was, it was. it became real, you know? I had done tons of wardrobe fittings. I have like over 100 wardrobe changes in the movie. And then I did separately hair tests and makeup tests, but never together.

So that day was kind of like, you know, it was a, you know, it was a, it felt like she was back or something. I don't know. Well, everyone in tears tells you everything you need to know. I get emotional again. No, I'm sure. I'm sure. And as you got to know her and read about her and felt like you were sort of taking on her life, I imagine you felt, you know, a kinship with her and wanted to do right by her. Yeah, for sure. I feel very protective of her. Yeah, yeah. Is that amazing how that can happen? Yeah. Someone you never met before? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Do you, when you look at all she went through as an actress back then and now that you're a Hollywood star yourself, what do you think when you look at not only what she went through back then, but when actresses like her went through in a totally different time and all she had to do just to survive a day? Yeah. It's hard. It's hard when you get put in a situation where you have to perform and deliver a specific thing that you don't even see yourself as.

It's kind of like a reflection of yourself, but the mirror is shattered. You know, it's like, and then you have to keep showing up. And, you know, there's something in this that I hope that people see in the film and is the, maybe the pressure and what that does to a person, you know, the pressure in the media, the pressure to, to maintain certain, you know, image or, yeah, I feel like, I mean, the movie is, it's about that, right? Your personal self and your public self. And how do you, how do you do it? How do you deal with that? And what that does to you? Like, who, who's, who's more powerful, who's in charge? How do you keep that, you know? And in her case, they were two different people

with different names. Completely different people. Yeah. Was there any part of you? It's bizarre. It is. Yeah. And something that she also kept, you know, pushing back. There was this kind of like pushback and rejection from her and like this, you know, it's kind of sad because there was this, you know, she talked about Marilyn as a third person. Like something she couldn't even see how that would be this, her.

And at the same time, she understood that she needed her. her. She could not go along without Marilyn. So it was kind of like this love, hate relationship between these two. Did you find joy

in her? I mean, as you say, it is difficult to watch because of what she went through. It can be uncomfortable at times. But when you studied her, did she have genuine joy? Or was it mostly a struggle? No, I think she was happy. I think she was generally happy.

But there is such thing as too much, I guess. And I believe that the foundation of everything is your family. You know, it's what carries you on your entire life. It defines who you are and how you see the world. And she didn't have that at all. She just didn't know better. She didn't know What was her reference?

Yeah You know So she was quite lost in that sense As you watched her life And you're talking about this pressure And the public life and the private life Could you empathize with her Based on what you've been through?

Oh yes, yes, yes, yes, absolutely I mean we all have that Some people, their private life And their public life is not that far apart you know, I don't think mine is. I tried to, just for my own sake, and it's just way easier to just continue to be, you know, to be as true to yourself as possible.

But there is something about that that is about protection. Because there are things that are not meant to be shared. That should be, you know, you should keep to yourself. And they should stay that way. And if you let, you know, in this industry, I feel like if you let it happen, they just keep taking and taking and taking more. And then, you know, it can get very invasive and, and yeah, out of control. So do you take lessons from my heart? Do you say to yourself, okay, I need to make sure I have this clear boundary and this separation.

and don't let them invade my life? Yeah, I try. I think, yeah, I try, and I think I did learn things from her experiences. And I try. Unfortunately, I don't think that's always in your control. Yeah. Are you able to ignore that side of it and just do your work? I try.

I try. you know, I feel like, I feel like her, I would rather be remembered by my work than anything else. Because it's my work what I chose to share with the audience, with the public. Not my life, otherwise I would do something else. Right, right. It comes with the territory in some ways. You mentioned family. Yeah.

Growing up in Cuba. Yeah. You had a good family yourself. Yeah. And I'm curious where this acting thing came from you. It's not like you grew up in a Hollywood glamorous life, but you watched movies and you got the bug. You wanted to be an actress.

Yes. I mean, we, yeah, we had, you know, when I was growing up, we only had two channels on the TV. We didn't have VHA's videos or anything. like that. So the, you know, the times for the movies and novellas and things like that were the times. Like, I better do my homework, dust the furniture, and help my mom in the kitchen before that time because nobody was going to move me from the couch. Like, that was it. And I loved it. It was my thing. And then I would just watch whatever was on TV. And, and, and, and I would just watch whatever was on TV.

run to the mirror and repeat it and do it again. Oh, really? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I saw, you know, I watched all American films and European films, and, you know, they put everything on TV. What were your favorites? Who did you look up to as a kid? You have favorite actors and actresses?

Oh, my gosh. Yeah, I remember I was obsessed with Tom Hanks and Richard Gear. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Good choices. Yeah. Julie Roberts was in there too. Yeah, all this, you know, Sunday after lunch, you know, romantic movies. Oh, yeah.

Yeah. And you really followed through on it. You went to drama school to theater school. Yes. So when I was 14, I started in drama school for four years. At the same time, I did my first three films. And then I was done and I was ready to go. and I decided to move to Madrid.

Is it true that you hitchhiked to drama school? Yes. That's a true story? Yes. Okay. Yes. It was quicker than getting the bus. So I needed to get there on time.

So, yeah, you know, it was the line to get in the bus was just too crazy. So I'd just rather ask people. And it is kind of like part of the culture. Yeah. People just take you. If they're going that way, you know, why not? And I was just in my school uniform,

probably carrying some props for the play, you know, because we had to build our own things. So everyone knew that, you know, I was going to school. So, yeah, people were happy to help. And clearly it went well enough that you made the decision that this could be a career for me. And as you said, you went to Madrid. Oh, it was always the one thing.

That was it. That was it. No other options. I don't know what I would have done otherwise, but yeah, that was it. I'm glad it's worked out for you then. Yeah. Yeah. So what was that decision like with your family to say, I really want to do this and I'm

going to go to Spain to pursue my dream? You know, I didn't know what the reaction was going to be, but as soon as I said it, both of my parents were, you know, they were like, go ahead. Wow. Go ahead. and we trust you and that that trust in me gave me

you know the final you know push to go and I did it I mean I because also I never met my parents were not

I was not making the life that they didn't have I was not living you know I was not fulfilling anybody else's dreams they're not actors they didn't, you know, there was no frustration there in that sense going on or anything.

They were just happy for me. And I had it so clear that I just think they would have never dared to stop me. But I can only imagine. I mean, I was 18. If I had an 18-year-old daughter now and she tells me I'm going to go, like, what? That's what I'm thinking. I have a 15-year-old daughter. To my hand, yeah.

It was huge. and I just couldn't be more grateful for them. That they had that trust and confidence in you. That's a real gift. And then you had great success there, and eventually you decide it's time to go to Hollywood. Time to go to L.A. Great success.

I think it was okay. I think I started doing TV in Spain, and it just didn't feel the way I thought it would. It didn't give me as much, you know? and then it was kind of like I had a hard time transitioning from that TV stigma or whatever to working with the film directors that I wanted to work with

and that kind of like it was taking too long it didn't happen and I was frustrated and I'm not very patient and I just yeah and I came to LA for the first time to audition for Hands of Stone when I was still living in Madrid And I auditioned and I got the part and then that's when I decided to move to L.A.

But I didn't speak English, so I was like, okay, let's just see how that goes. Well, I was going to say, what was that audition like? You said, by the way, I want to be in this movie with Robert De Niro, but I don't speak English. But my character was Panamanian, so I was lucky. That helped. I had time. I had some time to learn some English. And to learn on your first big film set from Robert De Niro and stars like that,

that. Yes. What was that like for you to go from Cuba to Spain doing television all of a sudden, boom. Oh, it was incredible. It was an incredible experience. I just, I couldn't believe it. And I brought my mom to Panama, and then I brought my dad. I mean, everybody, I just wanted them to see, you know, and to be proud and to experience that too. Because I didn't know if it was going to happen again. Right, right. You never know. Yeah. So that was incredible. Truly, like, amazing. I love what you say and people,

how did you learn English so fast? Because I had to, to survive. If I was going to make it in the business, I wanted to be, and I had to learn English. And then you mentioned Knock Knock with Keanu Reeves. It feels like you had exposure to just great actors as you were coming up and learning the business.

Great actors and great friends. Yeah. Great people. Yeah. And so what were those early actors? as you were climbing up, and then we talked about knives out and doing the Bond movie and all these, you know, gray men this year, all these big, big projects.

It feels to me like you started pretty big. Oh my gosh, it feels so slow. It felt to me at the time, it felt like, what is happening? You know, you have an ambition. I had an ambition, and I had this desire, and I had this idea of what I knew. I could do. But sometimes, I mean, you do the best you can with what you're given.

Yeah. And you try to build what you can with that. And sometimes, you know, it's not exactly what you wish it was. It's not what you really want to do. You have to, you know, you have to take risks. You have to say yes to projects that you're not really in love with. but you're building, you're building, you're building, you're building, you're building. And at some point you hope that you're tall enough to see, you know.

And I feel like that that's what I've learned, you know, and I would have been way more patient and nicer to myself, you know, like I would have given me more credit, like looking back, I, you know, I should have been more, you know. It's easy to say now, though. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

It's hard to see them as steps in the road. But you know, you know, I, I, when I, who would have thought that Andrew thought of me because he saw knock knock? Yeah. Like, what? That would have never, ever crossed my mind. Right. Ever. And you, you, so you never know what someone else is going to see.

in a job that maybe at the time wasn't appreciated or understood or something, but if you do your job, at the end of the day, someone's going to pay attention to that. It's going to come across. It's going to be seen. And I'm proud of that. I'm proud of not giving up and, like, struggle through the language and a new country and new people and giving up, you know, my second home after eight years after having given up my friends and my family. So for a third time, just like moving on to another place and just start from zero again.

But it paid off and it's been incredible. Stick around for more of my conversation with Anna de Armas right after a quick break. Welcome back now to the rest of my conversation with Anna DeArmas. happened for people to realize in a relatively short period of time. You've been in so many big movies lately. People, oh, yeah, Anna, she's been around for a long time. I mean, Knock Knock was 2016 or something like. I mean, it's like, this is not a lot of time that you've done it,

which is a tribute to you. We were talking about Knives Out a minute ago, which is just phenomenal. Yes. And it strikes me that it was a bit of a surprise success for you because I take it when you read the part, you weren't that excited about it originally? Is that true?

No, well, I was in the middle of shooting another movie And I just got an email With no script, it was a secret script So, okay, no information at all, I couldn't read anything And it was the character description Was Latina caretaker Right Pretty, something like that

And one scene And I'm like, I don't have time for this Like I don't, what is it? Can I read the whole script? And they kept saying, no, no, no, like, I just couldn't have access to it. And they kept saying that, but she's important, but she's a good character in the movie. Like, she's, I'm like, I've heard this before.

I don't think a nurse, no. And I just kept saying no, no, truly because I was very, you know, in the middle of filming something. And until, you know, they were like, okay, we'll send you the script. Oh, they did. Oh, yeah. And as soon as I read it. I was like, oh my God, I need to send this tape now.

I cannot lose this part. And it becomes a huge success, and you're nominated for Best Actors, the Golden Globe Award. What was that like to just see your name on that list? That was surreal. That was crazy. Yeah, I just, I never thought, yeah, I just never thought that character was going to give me that. I don't know.

And is there any light you can shed on Knives Out? or are you sworn to secrecy? No, the only thing I can say is that... Damn Brian Johnson for not calling me! And I miss them all so much. And it was one of the best, most beautiful experience that I've ever had on set. It was truly the most joyful, amazing cast.

And Ryan is incredible, and his... and unbelievable director. And I wish, I wish I had more time with them. Wow. You were so good in that movie. Thank you. So as we talk about all these things you've accomplished in such a short period of time, and now this movie that's got everybody talking,

blonde, and people continue to talk about it as we move down in the months and into award season, perhaps, do you ever stop and think, my gosh, look how far I've come from hitchhiking in Cuba? to the drama school? Yeah. To the heights I've reached now in Hollywood?

Absolutely. I do stop sometimes, not very often. Usually stop because someone else, people who love me and are very close to me, tell me to stop. And they say, come down one second. And they put me next to a window maybe. See, look outside.

You're seeing the lay, all the lights. look at your poster on Sunset Boulevard, look at this and that, like, you know, do you realize what you've done? And I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever. I don't want to talk about it. But sometimes it's important. It's good.

It's good because it keeps you grounded and it keeps you, you know, reminds you of, It's important to have gratitude for that and to also celebrate yourself for the hard work and, you know, for not compromising and for not stopping and for all of that. And also understand how lucky you've been and what you've done with that. Because so many people have this dream. so many people want to do that and they're also talented and there's so many factors that you know play into this

that it's important to stop and take it in and understand all the amazing things that are happening what does your family back in Cuba think about all this? Can they believe it? They're very proud.

They're very, very proud Yeah, family, friends. You know, the other day, I don't have Facebook. So my friends sent me screenshots of things that happen in Facebook or whatever. And one day, all of a sudden, everyone started sending me the same picture. And it was a classmate from my drama school. And he had posted this picture of mine when we were 14 doing a little something on stage. And he said something like, you know, remember Anna, you know, when we were all together studying and having dreams and, you know, living life and being teenagers and having fun?

Now she's about to do the impossible. She's about to play Marilyn Monroe in this movie and we should all be so proud of her. And that was a, it was beautiful. It was really beautiful because. We study together, you know, and it feels like it makes me proud to make them proud. Yeah. And if anything, it's what he calls the impossible, then at least I'm showing them, but maybe it's not the impossible. Right.

You know, that it happens. So. And it probably feels in some way like all those people had a hand in this, right? Yeah. Yeah. Oh, for sure. For sure. classmates.

Absolutely. They get a little piece of this. So yeah, from them to my family and my friends and everyone, yeah, everyone is really excited and proud and happy and yeah. Well, they should be. It's an extraordinary performance. Congratulations. And I can't wait for you to see it on a big screen like I did.

Whoa, there it is. It's going to be amazing. I can't wait for Venice. I can't wait to see it. Yeah. Congratulations. It's great to talk to you. And to hear the audience like around you.

Yes. Yeah. Congratulations. Very special. Great job. Thank you. Thank you. Nice to talk to you.

Thank you. My big thanks again to Anna for a great conversation. You can check out Blonde when it begins streaming on Netflix on September 28th. My thanks to all of you for listening again this week. If you want to hear more of my conversations with our guests every week, be sure to click follow so you never miss an episode. And don't forget to tune in to Sunday. today every weekend on NBC. I'm Willie Geist.

See you right back here next week on the Sunday Sit Down Podcast.