Marilyn Monroe is one of the biggest icons in Hollywood history. Her persona to this day remains relevant and unparalleled by anyone else. Keeping that in mind, any actor who tries to portray the iconic celebrity will have their work cut out for them and will have to be prepared for massive public and critic scrutiny. This is the case of the Cuban actress Ana De Armas who will be portraying the character of Monroe in the upcoming Netflix film Blonde .
The drama film is set to release in September of 2022 and trailer footage for the film has already been released. Ana De Armas looks uncannily similar to the iconic celebrity but looks is not where she is on the receiving end of criticism. Ana is being criticized for her accent. Fans and critics are complaining that Ana still has a very clear hint of her Cuban accent in the trailer footage and hence does not sound like Monroe.
This critique must come as quite a disheartening blow to Ana as she has revealed that she spent almost a full year trying to perfect Monroe’s accent and her other speaking mannerisms, to the point where Ana says her brain was “fried” from all the work she put it.
But it isn’t all hate for Ana at the moment as Marilyn Monroe’s Estate has spoken up in favor of Ana, saying that she was an excellent casting choice for the role. Marc Rosen, president of entertainment at Authentic Brands Group, which owns the Marilyn Monroe Estate, spoke to Variety recently and expressed his support of Ana De Armas in the following words:
“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!”
Blonde will be premiering on Netflix on the 23rd of September 2022.