The actress received her 1st Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of Marilyn Monroe in ‘Blonde’
Ana de Armas has recently opened up about her decision to leave Hollywood in pursuit of a simpler life. In an interview with E! News during the Toronto International Film Festival premiere of her latest film Eden, de Armas shared that she moved from Los Angeles to rural Vermont to “escape the craziness of the world.”
“We all want a chance to create our own safe space, and that’s a choice I’ve made,” she explained. “I’ve found a home where I feel truly disconnected from everything. It’s a place where I can center myself and only invite the people I want to be around. It’s like my little cocoon.”
De Armas gained significant public attention when she began dating Ben Affleck after they met on the set of their 2019 film Deep Water. The couple eventually split in January 2021. While it’s unclear if the breakup influenced her move, de Armas admitted she felt the need for change.
“We all want to have the chance to build your own safe space. I’ve made that decision myself. I found a home where I really feel off the grid. I can collect myself and only bring there who I want to be with. I have my little cocoon there.”
“You know when it’s time to make a change,” she said. “You have to look out for yourself. There comes a point when you realize what’s good for you and what’s not. What serves you best? Pay attention to that and act accordingly.”
De Armas’ breakout role came with the 2019 film Knives Out, where she starred alongside Christopher Plummer, Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, and Jamie Lee Curtis. Following several other successful projects, including No Time to Die, she took on the role of Marilyn Monroe in Netflix’s Blonde. The film, which chronicled Monroe’s rise and fall, earned de Armas her first Academy Award nomination. While the movie was praised by critics, audience reactions were mixed. Reflecting on this with The Hollywood Reporter in March 2023, de Armas acknowledged the difficulty of hearing negative feedback but remained confident in her reasons for taking on the role.
“That hasn’t changed,” she said. “When people don’t like your film, it’s tough, but that’s the reality. This wasn’t a movie made to please everyone; it’s a difficult watch.”
Despite leaving Los Angeles, de Armas revealed to E! News in March 2023 that the city will always hold a connection for her because of her work on Blonde. “Everywhere we went, all the locations, she [Monroe] was present,” she recalled. “Everyone had a story about her. That energy helped deepen our commitment to honoring her, and it made the experience of making the film even more meaningful.”
