# Ana de Armas
**Ana de Armas** (full name Ana Celia de Armas Caso, born 1988) is a Cuban and Spanish actress who trained in Cuba, became a television star in Spain on the teen drama *[El Internado](https://www.edgepedia.org/el-internado)*, and built a Hollywood career with roles in *Blade Runner 2049*, *Knives Out*, *No Time to Die*, and *[Blonde](https://www.edgepedia.org/blonde-2022-film)*, the last of which brought her Academy Award, BAFTA, Golden Globe, and SAG Award nominations for best actress.[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/ana-de-armas) • [2](https://www.crbcnews.com/articles/ana-de-armas)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1988, Santa Cruz del Norte, Cuba[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/ana-de-armas) |
| Training | Entered Cuba's National Theater School at age 14[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/ana-de-armas) |
| Film debut | *Una rosa de Francia* (2006), directed by Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón, made at age 16[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/ana-de-armas) |
| Spanish television | Lead role in *El Internado*, six seasons from 2007 to 2010[3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIjXoIH9TaE) |
| Hollywood breakthrough | Joi in *Blade Runner 2049* (2017); Marta in *Knives Out* (2019), with a Golden Globe nomination[4](https://www.wmagazine.com/story/ana-de-armas-blade-runner-2049) • [5](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-246148/palmares/) |
| *Blonde* (2022) | Played Marilyn Monroe; nominated for the Academy Award, BAFTA, Golden Globe, and SAG Award for best actress[2](https://www.crbcnews.com/articles/ana-de-armas) |
| Recent work | Lead in the John Wick spin-off *Ballerina* (2025); Louis Vuitton house ambassador since 2023[6](https://apnews.com/article/0ddadffaf80e2fd08445022ce80133b7) • [7](https://elpais.com/gente/2026-10-07/ana-de-armas-oficializa-su-relacion-con-el-cantante-venezolano-beto-montenegro-en-la-semana-de-la-moda-de-paris.html) |
## Early life and training in Cuba
De Armas was born in Santa Cruz del Norte, a small town on Cuba's northern coast, where she spent her early years with her brother, Javier.[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/ana-de-armas) Her father, Ramón de Armas, worked at different times as a bank manager, a teacher, a school principal, and a deputy mayor; her mother, Ana Caso, worked in the human resources office of Cuba's Ministry of Education.[8](https://www.martincid.com/people/ana-de-armas/) She has described a childhood without mobile phones, internet access, or television channels, in which the outside world felt distant.[9](https://elpais.com/elpais/2017/09/19/tentaciones/1505831920_388735.html)
She decided on acting early, saying she had the conviction from age 12 that she would be an actor, and she enrolled at Cuba's National Theater School at 14.[6](https://apnews.com/article/0ddadffaf80e2fd08445022ce80133b7) • [1](https://www.biography.com/actors/ana-de-armas) At 16, while still a student, she made her feature film debut in *Una rosa de Francia* (2006), a drama by the Spanish director Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón.[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/ana-de-armas) She followed with two more films, *Madrigal* and *El edén perdido* (both 2007), but the working schedule put her at odds with her instructors, and she left school at 18 to pursue her career in Spain.[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/ana-de-armas)
## Spain: *El Internado* and typecasting
Because her grandparents were born in Spain, in towns in León and Palencia, de Armas held a Spanish passport, and she used it to move to Madrid at 18, buying her ticket with the 200 euros left from her first three films.[9](https://elpais.com/elpais/2017/09/19/tentaciones/1505831920_388735.html) Within weeks of arriving, the casting director Luis San Narciso, having seen her in *Una rosa de Francia*, called her in for a test that led to *El Internado*, a mystery boarding-school series that became a runaway success and made her a familiar face in Spain almost overnight.[9](https://elpais.com/elpais/2017/09/19/tentaciones/1505831920_388735.html) • [4](https://www.wmagazine.com/story/ana-de-armas-blade-runner-2049) She stayed with the series for six seasons, from 2007 to 2010.[3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIjXoIH9TaE)
After *El Internado* she took film roles including the comedy *Mentiras y gordas* (*Sex, Party & Lies*), but she felt stalled in the kind of parts she had started with.[9](https://elpais.com/elpais/2017/09/19/tentaciones/1505831920_388735.html) • [10](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/ana-de-armas-blonde-interview-photos-75609/) After six seasons and several films, she returned to Havana to rest with her family, then decided to settle in Los Angeles.[11](https://elpais.com/gente/2021-01-22/ana-de-armas-la-actriz-que-da-la-espalda-a-hollywood-y-a-ben-affleck.html)
## Hollywood: from *Blade Runner 2049* to *Knives Out*
De Armas moved to Los Angeles around 2015, not knowing a single person there and speaking no English, and took intensive language lessons.[4](https://www.wmagazine.com/story/ana-de-armas-blade-runner-2049) • [12](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/11/ana-de-armas-knives-out-interview) Her first Hollywood film was the sports drama *Hands of Stone* (2016).[4](https://www.wmagazine.com/story/ana-de-armas-blade-runner-2049) She has said that before *Blade Runner* she was not getting roles because of her accent.[9](https://elpais.com/elpais/2017/09/19/tentaciones/1505831920_388735.html) In Denis Villeneuve's *Blade Runner 2049* (2017) she played Joi, the romantic partner of [Ryan Gosling](https://www.edgepedia.org/ryan-gosling)'s character, a role her management had to push to get her into the audition room.[4](https://www.wmagazine.com/story/ana-de-armas-blade-runner-2049)
**Knives Out.** Rian Johnson's murder mystery (2019) made her the film's breakout star as Marta, the nurse who is its true protagonist, a part she says she almost turned down.[12](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/11/ana-de-armas-knives-out-interview) TIME called her nomination at the 2020 Golden Globes a surprise among an expected cast, noting that her character required a balancing act between compassion and cunning.[13](https://time.com/5746169/golden-globe-nominations-2020-snubs-surprises/) De Armas has said the role mattered to her because Latina characters are often written in a small-minded, clichéd way, and she tries to get away from that.[12](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/11/ana-de-armas-knives-out-interview) She followed with a short but widely noticed turn as the CIA agent Paloma in the [James Bond](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-bond) film *No Time to Die* (2021), and has since advocated for more Latin actors in action films.[14](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/ana-de-armas-reflects-on-bond-role-advocating-for-more-latin-actors-action)
## *Blonde* and awards recognition
In [Andrew Dominik](https://www.edgepedia.org/andrew-dominik)'s *Blonde* (2022), an adaptation of [Joyce Carol Oates](https://www.edgepedia.org/joyce-carol-oates)'s novel about [Marilyn Monroe](https://www.edgepedia.org/marilyn-monroe), de Armas played the lead. She prepared for a year, and her first day on set was the nightmare sequence shot in the actual apartment where Norma Jeane had lived with her mother.[15](https://apnews.com/article/be95bf7a3e5359c160cfbece94ed75c8) Her casting drew some objection over whether a Cuban actress should play one of the most recognizable American movie stars, a reaction de Armas herself described as toxic.[10](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/ana-de-armas-blonde-interview-photos-75609/) Dominik said he had concerns about her accent until he saw her act.[16](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2022-09-01/ana-de-armas-blonde-marilyn-monroe-netflix-fall-arts-preview)
At the [Venice Film Festival](https://www.edgepedia.org/venice-film-festival) the audience gave the film a standing ovation of nearly 15 minutes, during which de Armas broke into tears.[17](https://impactolatino.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMPACTO-LATINO-2475.pdf) • [10](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/ana-de-armas-blonde-interview-photos-75609/) The film itself divided critics, but her performance drew broad praise; the Associated Press wrote that while *Blonde* was reviled by many critics, few failed to admire her portrayal.[15](https://apnews.com/article/be95bf7a3e5359c160cfbece94ed75c8) She received best-actress nominations for the Academy Award, BAFTA, Golden Globe, and SAG Award.[2](https://www.crbcnews.com/articles/ana-de-armas)
## Later work and current projects
De Armas led the Apple TV+ action comedy *[Ghosted](https://www.edgepedia.org/ghosted-2023-film)* (2023) opposite Chris Evans, joined the ensemble of the survival thriller *Eden* (2024), and in 2025 played the lead in *From the World of John Wick: Ballerina*, a vengeful assassin, reuniting with [Keanu Reeves](https://www.edgepedia.org/keanu-reeves) a decade after their earlier film together.[2](https://www.crbcnews.com/articles/ana-de-armas) • [6](https://apnews.com/article/0ddadffaf80e2fd08445022ce80133b7) She has said she never expected an action career; she had severe asthma as a child and could not run or play with friends without risking an attack.[6](https://apnews.com/article/0ddadffaf80e2fd08445022ce80133b7) Upcoming projects include the supernatural ocean thriller *Deeper*, one Apple TV+ series, and three films in development.[2](https://www.crbcnews.com/articles/ana-de-armas)
She became a [Louis Vuitton](https://www.edgepedia.org/louis-vuitton) house ambassador in 2023 and fronts the brand's Mythica high-jewelry campaign.[7](https://elpais.com/gente/2026-10-07/ana-de-armas-oficializa-su-relacion-con-el-cantante-venezolano-beto-montenegro-en-la-semana-de-la-moda-de-paris.html) • [2](https://www.crbcnews.com/articles/ana-de-armas) She announced her imminent U.S. citizenship while hosting *Saturday Night Live* in 2023, adding American to her Cuban and Spanish citizenships.[6](https://apnews.com/article/0ddadffaf80e2fd08445022ce80133b7) • [2](https://www.crbcnews.com/articles/ana-de-armas) She married the Spanish actor Marc Clotet in 2011 in a secret ceremony on the [Costa Brava](https://www.edgepedia.org/costa-brava); he confirmed their divorce about two years later.[7](https://elpais.com/gente/2026-10-07/ana-de-armas-oficializa-su-relacion-con-el-cantante-venezolano-beto-montenegro-en-la-semana-de-la-moda-de-paris.html)
## References
1. [Ana de Armas: Biography, Actor, Biography.com](https://www.biography.com/actors/ana-de-armas)
2. [Where Is Ana de Armas Now? Her Louis Vuitton Role and New Projects, CRBC News](https://www.crbcnews.com/articles/ana-de-armas)
3. [Tribute | Ana de Armas, YouTube (WATCH ENTERTAINMENT)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIjXoIH9TaE)
4. [How Ana de Armas Went from Acting in Cuba to Starring Alongside Ryan Gosling in Blade Runner 2049, W Magazine](https://www.wmagazine.com/story/ana-de-armas-blade-runner-2049)
5. [Ana de Armas : Récompenses et nominations, AlloCiné](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-246148/palmares/)
6. [For Ana de Armas, Keanu Reeves' co-star 10 years ago and once again, 'Ballerina' is a pirouette, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/0ddadffaf80e2fd08445022ce80133b7)
7. [Ana de Armas oficializa su relación con el cantante venezolano Beto Montenegro, El País](https://elpais.com/gente/2026-10-07/ana-de-armas-oficializa-su-relacion-con-el-cantante-venezolano-beto-montenegro-en-la-semana-de-la-moda-de-paris.html)
8. [Ana de Armas, the actress who refused to let her accent decide her career, Martin Cid Magazine](https://www.martincid.com/people/ana-de-armas/)
9. [Ana de Armas: "Antes de 'Blade Runner' no me salía nada, por el acento", El País Tentaciones](https://elpais.com/elpais/2017/09/19/tentaciones/1505831920_388735.html)
10. [How Ana de Armas Used Her Own Insecurities to Play Marilyn Monroe, Backstage](https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/ana-de-armas-blonde-interview-photos-75609/)
11. [Ana de Armas, la actriz que da la espalda a Hollywood y a Ben Affleck, El País](https://elpais.com/gente/2021-01-22/ana-de-armas-la-actriz-que-da-la-espalda-a-hollywood-y-a-ben-affleck.html)
12. [Ana de Armas Had "No Idea How to Survive" Knives Out, Vanity Fair](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/11/ana-de-armas-knives-out-interview)
13. [The Biggest Snubs and Surprises of the 2020 Golden Globe Nominations, TIME](https://time.com/5746169/golden-globe-nominations-2020-snubs-surprises/)
14. ['It Was Magical': Ana De Armas Reflects On Bond Role While Advocating For More Latin Actors In Action, CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/ana-de-armas-reflects-on-bond-role-advocating-for-more-latin-actors-action)
15. [2023 Oscars: What to know about best actress nominees, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/be95bf7a3e5359c160cfbece94ed75c8)
16. [Ana de Armas talks controversial Marilyn movie 'Blonde', Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2022-09-01/ana-de-armas-blonde-marilyn-monroe-netflix-fall-arts-preview)
17. [IMPACTO LATINO, 26 de enero al 1 de febrero de 2023](https://impactolatino.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMPACTO-LATINO-2475.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of Latin America and Iberia › Caribbean screen actors*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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