Cuban-Spanish actor, Ana de Armas broke the record after receiving a standing ovation for 14 minutes for her role at the premiere of her Marilyn Monroe biopic "Blonde" at the Venice Film Festival. The 34-year-old Hollywood actor, who could not hold back her tears at the praise she received, was once on the agenda after she stated that she and the crew visited the tomb of the legendary name Marilyn Monroe and asked for permission to shoot the story of her life.
Unveiling the information during an interview with AnOther Magazine, Armas said: “We got this big card and everyone in the crew wrote a message to her. Then we went to the cemetery and put it on her grave.”
“We were asking for permission in a way. Everyone felt a huge responsibility, and we were very aware of the side of the story we were going to tell — the story of Norma Jeane, the person behind this character, Marilyn Monroe. Who was she really?” she added.
Written and directed by Andrew Dominik, "Blonde" is based on the 2000 novel of the same name by Joyce Carol Oates.
Armas, who received full marks from the critics for her performance also stated that she believed the spirit of the famous star "haunted" the cast throughout the shooting of the movie. She also claimed that "Marilyn's soul is peaceful now" when she spoke to the press at the Venice Film Festival.
Adding her belief that the ghost of the Hollywood star is always nearby, Armas said: "I believe she was very close to us. She was with us." The director of the film, Andrew Dominik, also shared the same idea as Armas saying: “It was definitely like a session,” admitting that he sensed Marilyn's presence.
What makes things even more mystical is some scenes of the movie were shot in the same apartment where Monroe lived with her mentally ill mother. In addition, the death scene was shot in the room where the star, who was born in 1926, died tragically in 1962.
Armas also stated that she worked with her dialect coach for nine months to perfect her accent in the movie. Yet she received much criticism for her nationality and her accent.
Monroe's estate, though not involved in the film, has supported her performance, however, saying Armas "captures Marilyn's glamor, humanity, and vulnerability," after seeing the trailer.
