Brad Pitt is being a gentleman who prefers de Armas.
The 58-year-old producer spoke out in praise of Ana de Armas’ performance as film icon Marilyn Monroe in the upcoming Netflix film “Blonde” Tuesday after the actress received negative comments for her portrayal of the blond bombshell, reports Entertainment Weekly.
“She is phenomenal in it,” said Pitt, who is producing the movie through his company Plan B.
“That’s a tough dress to fill. It was 10 years in the making. It wasn’t until we found Ana that we could get it across the finish line.”
The “Knives Out” actress announced in March 2019 that she would play Monroe and was immediately slammed by viewers who complained that a Cuban actress should not play the American Icon.
“Blonde” is adapted from the book of the same name published in 2000 by Joyce Carol Oates and takes a fictional look into the highs and lows of both Monroe’s personal life and professional career.
The film’s trailer, which was released in late July, shows de Armas’ appearance to be nearly identical to the real Marilyn Monroe, however, most viewers said that they could still hear Armas’ Cuban accent.
Marilyn Monroe’s estate issued a statement in support of de Armas’ casting, saying that they are excited to see her portrayal.
“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,” said estate representatives.
“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!”
Armas revealed that she also took several steps to make sure she also honored Monroe.
“I read Joyce’s novel, studied hundreds of photographs, videos, audio recordings, films — anything I could get my hands on. Every scene is inspired by an existing photograph. We’d pore over every detail in the photo and debate what was happening in it,” Armas said to Netflix Queue.
“The first question was always, ‘What was Norma Jeane feeling here?’ We wanted to tell the human side of her story. Fame is what made Marilyn the most visible person in the world, but it also made Norma the most invisible.” Norma Jeane Mortensen was the original name of the Hollywood icon, who died in 1962.
“Blonde,” which also stars Bobby Cannavale as Joe DiMaggio and Adrien Brody as Arthur Miller, is slated to premiere at the Venice Film Festival before streaming on Netflix on Sept. 28.
