Ana de Armas says she asked Marilyn Monroe for her permission to make 'Blonde' when she visited her gravesite
Netflix
- Ana de Armas plays Marilyn Monroe in the new Netflix movie "Blonde."
- She asked the late icon's permission to make the movie with a card signed by cast and crew members.
- De Armas also said she felt the presence of Monroe's spirit on set.
Ana de Armas visited the grave of Marilyn Monroe to request permission to play her in "Blonde."
"We got this big card and everyone in the crew wrote a message to her," de Armas said in an interview with AnOther magazine published Tuesday.
"Then we went to the cemetery and put it on her grave. We were asking for permission in a way," she continued.
The original Netflix movie, written and directed by Andrew Dominik, attempts to center the woman behind the cultural icon. It began filming on August 4, the anniversary of Monroe's death.
HENRY NICHOLLS/Reuters; Netflix
De Armas recalled how she was emotionally impacted by the enormity of the role.
"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," she continued. "The weight of it stayed with me for sure," she added.
This isn't the first time those involved with the film spoke about feeling the weight of Monroe's spirit on the production. Dominik compared filming in locations where Monroe once lived to a "seance" in a press conference when the film premiered at the 2022 Venice Film Festival, The Guardian reported earlier this month.
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"I truly believe that she was very close to us. She was with us," she said.
"I think she was happy. She would also throw things off the wall sometimes and get mad if she didn't like something. Maybe this sounds very mystical, but it is true. We all felt it," de Armas added.
"Blonde" is currently playing in selected theaters. It will premiere on Netflix on September 28.