The actor, who served as a producer on Blonde, sang de Armas’ praises for her portrayal of Marilyn Monroe.

During the Los Angeles premiere for Bullet Train, Brad Pitt spoke with Entertainment Tonight about Ana de Armas’ performance in Blonde. The upcoming Andrew Dominik film is based on the 2000 novel by Joyce Carol Oates that “reimagines the life of Marilyn Monroe, exploring the split between her public and private selves.” Pitt’s comments come after disparaging remarks regarding de Armas’ accent circulated online following the official trailer release on July 28.

“It was 10 years in the making. It wasn’t until we found Ana that we could get it across the finish line. She is phenomenal in it. That’s a tough dress to fill,” Pitt said.

De Armas, who is Cuban, worked with a dialect coach for nine months to perfect Monroe’s recognizable voice. In 2020, the actress told Vanity Fair that she felt casting a Latina in the role of the all-American icon was “groundbreaking.”

Pitt, who previously collaborated with Dominik in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and Killing Them Softly, is involved with Blonde under his production banner Plan B. Blonde also stars Bobby Cannavale as Joe DiMaggio, Adrien Brody as Arthur Miller, Julianne Nicholson as Gladys Pearl Baker, Xavier Samuel as Charles Chaplin Jr, and Evan Williams as Edward G. Robinson Jr. Blonde will premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival before becoming available for streaming on Netflix beginning September 28.

More Support for de Armas

While de Armas’ accent may differ from Monroe’s iconic voice, the Marilyn Monroe Estate has also come to the actress’ defense:

“Marilyn Monroe is a singular Hollywood and pop culture icon that transcends generations and history,” said Marc Rosen, president of entertainment at Authentic Brands Group, which owns the Marilyn Monroe Estate. “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!”

Before arriving in Los Angeles at 26, de Armas lived in Cuba and Spain. She appeared in Cuban films and several television series in Spain. In 2015, Armas appeared in her first English-speaking role in Eli Roth’s Knock Knock. Her role in 2019’s Knives Out earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical. She most recently appeared in The Gray Man, opposite Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling.


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