The actress did not believe that a Cuban could bring the Hollywood icon to life, but the young woman shocked her by showing her a photo of her on the set, recreating a scene from “Some Like it Hot,” a film in which Monroe starred alongside Tony Curtis. Jamie's father.
While many applauded the actress' choice, Jamie Lee Curtis criticized her choice based on a prejudice she had about her young colleague.
“I assumed, and I say this with real shame, that because she had come from Cuba, she had just arrived. I assumed she was an inexperienced and unsophisticated young woman. That first day, I said, 'What are your dreams?'” she said.
Jamie is the daughter of Tony Curtis, who starred with Marilyn Monroe and Jack Lemmon in “Some Like It Hot” (“In Skirts and crazy”); And it was, thanks to the recreation of a scene from this brilliant comedy, that the actress realized that Ana de Armas was the right one for this role.
My father was there and I have many photos of him and Marilyn. It was a couple of pictures of her and a video of her moving without audio. "It was so shocking because she was Marilyn," the actress added.
Jamie Lee Curtis and Ana de Armas shared a set in “Knives Out” and, there, a great friendship was born that overcame prejudices and today the Cuban can admit that her colleague is her “biggest fan.”
"She shows interest, talking to her is a kind of give and take. She is curious and asks a lot of questions," revealed the veteran actress about the reason why her perception of Ana changed and today she is one of her biggest promoters.
"I delved into Joyce's novel and immersed myself in a vast collection of source material, including photographs, videos, audio recordings, and films. I left no stone unturned in my research. Every scene I crafted drew inspiration from real-life photographs, and my team and I meticulously examined every detail within these images.
Our discussions invariably began with a fundamental question: 'What emotions were coursing through Norma Jeane at this moment?' Our goal was to convey the deeply human aspect of her story. While Marilyn's fame catapulted her to unparalleled visibility, it paradoxically rendered Norma largely invisible," shared Ana de Armas as she recounted her thorough preparation to portray the character. Jamie Lee Curtis's insights helped Ana realize that her initial misconceptions about the role were unfounded.
