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- Ana de Armas is the latest actor to channel Marilyn Monroe in the biopic Blonde.
- The film, adapted from the semi-fictional biography by Joyce Carol Oates, delves deep into the icon's seductive, sexualised image.
- Here we track de Armas's rise to fame as one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood.
Ana de Armas's journey from Cuban migrant to starring as Marilyn Monroe in Blonde - available to stream on Netflix - is the stuff of American Dream clichés.
Born in Cuba in 1988, Armas came to the United States in her twenties with barely a word of English, only to become one of the most sought-after actresses in Hollywood.
Her distinctive look and ass-kicking turn in James Bond film No Time to Die and Netflix blockbuster The Gray Man have made her a front-page fixture.
But Blonde is set to test her real acting chops.
Adapted from the semi-fictional biography by Joyce Carol Oates, it delves deep into the childhood trauma, sexual assault and exploitation behind the icon's seductive, sexualised image.
Armas told the Los Angeles Times of landing the role:
'Glamour, vulnerability'
Armas was not an obvious choice, with grumblings online about her slight Cuban accent when the trailer was released this summer.
Monroe's estate, though not involved in the film, has supported her performance, however, saying Armas "captures Marilyn's glamour, humanity and vulnerability".
Armas spent nine months with a vocal coach trying to nail the unique intonation of the iconic actor.
Brad Pitt, who served as a producer on the film, told Entertainment Tonight: "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," Pitt added. "That's a tough dress to fill."
From Cuba to LA
Armas spent her childhood and adolescence in Cuba.
She entered theatre school at 14, starred in her first film two years later, and left to pursue a career in Madrid at 18, quickly landing a high-profile role in the TV show El Internado.
When she took the plunge and headed for Hollywood in 2006, she needed four months of intensive language classes to pick up English.
After a string of minor roles, her big break came with a part in 2017's sci-fi sequel Blade Runner 2049, alongside Ryan Gosling.
But her performance in the murder mystery Knives Out, starring Daniel Craig, elevated her to leading lady status, earning her a Golden Globe nomination.
That led to work with A-list director Olivier Assayas (The Wasp Network) and her brief but scene-stealing role in No Time to Die.
A relationship with Ben Affleck - her co-star in the erotic thriller Deep Water - also ensured plenty of tabloid attention.
But "Blonde" is another dimension of a star-making vehicle.
Its director, Australian Andrew Dominik, is known for brutal but poetic biopics Chopper and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - the latter earning Pitt a Best Actor award in Venice in 2007.
It has been a long wait for Blonde, which was reportedly finished in 2019 and delayed amid a stand-off between Dominik and Netflix over its lengthy running time and traumatic scenes.
Asked about his star's accent, Dominik told the Los Angeles Times: "I had concerns until I saw her act, then I forgot what I was supposed to be concerned about."
