Ana de Armas' journey into channeling the late Marilyn Monroe for the Andrew Dominik film Blonde hasn't been the easiest.
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The film premiered on 16 September following months of scrutiny over its casting and rumors of mid-filming disappointments. Now, as film critics and netizens alike begin to share their varied opinions on the film, the lead actress is opening up about her experience filming the difficult role.
Speaking with Today Show's Willie Geist, she looked back on the first time that she transformed herself into Marilyn, and how emotional it made her.
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Taking a moment to process her feelings, she then admitted: "I don't even know how to describe it. It was like… everyone in the room started crying, I can tell you that."
She added: "It was very emotional," and she even said: "It felt like she was back or something." The Cuban-born actress previously opened up about feeling like the set of the dramatic movie was haunted by the late actress' spirit.
Speaking of how draining the filming process often was, she said: "I was her for nine weeks. And I can tell you, it was exhausting. I just cannot imagine what it was like to be her for 36 years."
Ana opened up about the toll playing Marilyn had on her
The film, which will begin streaming on Netflix on 28 September, is a fictionalized take on the life of the Some Like it Hot star, based on the 2000 novel of the same name by Joyce Carol Oates.
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Cited as a "psychological drama," it generated a lot of buzz – and controversy – early on, not only for the casting of a Cuban actress, but for receiving a NC-17 rating due to its sexual content, leading many to wonder what the true focus of Marilyn's tragic story would be.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe actress looked spectacular at the film's Venice premiere
Nonetheless, it received a fourteen minute standing ovation when it was first screened at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month, and its attempts at maintaining authenticity have been quite commendable.
Many of its scenes were filmed at some of the places where the Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend singer actually lived, and the scene depicting her death was filmed in the room of her Brentwood, Los Angeles home where she passed away on 4 August, 1962.
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