Despite the upcoming Marilyn Monroe Netflix film, Blonde, not being authorized by the official Marilyn Monroe Estate, the group recently made a statement defending the casting of Cuban-Spanish actress Ana de Armas (Knives Out).
In true Twitter fashion, social media users shared thoughts about de Armas portraying the Hollywood icon when the first full trailer premiered late last week. Many commented on de Armas’ accent and felt it didn’t match how Monroe sounded.
“I like Ana de Armas, but I don’t understand why she was cast as Marilyn Monroe,” one Twitter user wrote. “It’s such a bizarre decision. Like, you can still hear her accent. Lol.”
Marc Rosen, president of entertainment at Authentic Brands Group (ABG), which owns the Marilyn Monroe Estate, has made an official statement on Ana de Armas’ casting.
“Marilyn Monroe is a singular Hollywood and pop culture icon that transcends generations and history,” he said. “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!”
In past interviews about her role as Monroe, de Armas said she worked for months on Monroe’s accent. “It took me nine months of dialect coaching, practicing, and some ADR sessions,” she said. “It was a big torture, so exhausting. My brain was fried.”
Others joked that de Armas’ Blonde accent was revenge for the questionable Latine accents Hollywood has delivered over the years.
“[It’s] payback for Al Pacino’s terrible Cuban accent in Scarface,” one user wrote.
Blonde premieres on Netflix on September 23, 2022.