Ana de Armas Worries Her Nude "Blonde" Scenes Will Go Viral: "Upsetting Just to Think About"
Netflix's highly anticipated Marilyn Monroe biopic, "Blonde," starring Ana de Armas will finally make its streaming debut on Sept. 30, and people are anxious to see how the film's leading lady brings a Hollywood icon's story to life. Leading up to the movie's worldwide release, "Blonde" has made headlines for de Armas's casting, a reportedly haunted set, and, most notably, its NC-17 rating - a Netflix first that surprised many.
"You can't really control what they do and how they take things out of context."
Though de Armas previously said she was confused by "Blonde"'s adult rating - aka the kiss of death for some movies' success - she's now expressing concern over the possibility of her nude scenes circulating once viewers see the film. "I know what's going to go viral and it's disgusting," she told Variety in a September profile. "It's upsetting just to think about it. I can't control it; you can't really control what they do and how they take things out of context. I don't think it gave me second thoughts; it just gave me a bad taste to think about the future of those clips."
On Sept. 8, "Blonde" premiered at the 2022 Venice Film Festival, where de Armas was accompanied by coproducer Brad Pitt on the red carpet. So far, the movie has received mixed reviews from critics, though it earned a roaring 14-minute standing ovation (some reports note 11 minutes) at its world premiere. According to Deadline, the Venice audience chanted "Ana, Ana, Ana" at the end of the two-hour and 46-minute-long film. Variety reported that de Armas had tears streaming down her face in response to the applause.
The outlet later spoke to de Armas's "Knives Out" and "The Gray Man" costar Chris Evans about her "Blonde" performance. "I think this was one of the first opportunities she had to really sink her teeth into something incredibly demanding. I didn't see one bit of fear; I saw excitement," he said. Of his first time seeing her screen test, Evans added, "I remember looking at it and saying, 'OK, that's Marilyn . . . where's your shot? That's you? Holy sh*t! You're going to win an Oscar for this!'"
In spite of the outside noise surrounding "Blonde," de Armas is proud of her portrayal of Monroe and still very anxious to finally unveil it to the rest of the world. "It's very nerve-racking! Because it's literally not just a movie theater - it is everybody," she added in her Variety interview. "The world will see it. So I am very excited - and it is time to let go."