Ana de Armas’ Marilyn Monroe accent in Blonde trailer divides viewers

Ana de Armas’ Marilyn Monroe accent in Netflix’s newest Blonde trailer has already proven to be divisive online.

Blonde, directed by Andrew Dominik, is a biopic set to “boldly reimagine the life of one of Hollywood’s most enduring icons, Marilyn Monroe,” as per the official synopsis.

“From her volatile childhood as Norma Jeane, through her rise to stardom and romantic entanglements, Blonde blurs the lines of fact and fiction to explore the widening split between her public and private selves.”

It’s based on Joyce Carol Oates’ book of the same name, and will be Netflix’s first NC-17 original movie as a result of its adult content.

Ana de Armas’ stars as Marilyn Monroe in new Blonde trailer

The official trailer for Blonde sees Monroe (De Armas) talking to Bobby Cannavale’s Joe DiMaggio, who asks how she got her “start in movies.”

“I guess I was discovered. I know you’re supposed to get used to it, but I just can’t. I’ve played Marilyn Monroe, Marilyn Monroe, Marilyn Monroe – I can’t face doing another scene with Marilyn Monroe.

“Marilyn doesn’t exist. When I come out of my dressing room, I’m Norma Jean. I’m still her when the camera’s rolling. Marilyn Monroe only exists on the screen.”

Ana de Armas’ Marilyn Monroe accent divides viewers in new Blonde trailer

De Armas has spoken about the difficulty of trying to perfect her Monroe accent, considering she’s a Latina woman with a distinct accent.

She told The Times: “I tried! It only took me nine months of dialect coaching, and practicing, and some ADR sessions. It was a big torture, so exhausting. My brain was fried.”

Following the trailer’s release, some viewers aren’t convinced by her accent. “I cannot figure out in that trailer for BLONDE if they’re just embracing de Armas’ Cuban accent or if they’re trying to get her to do an American accent (and failing),” one user wrote.

“It looks good with no sound on. but Ana de Armas’ accent comes through so much for me it’s off-putting. A bit disappointed as it looks good besides that,” another tweeted.

“I get bonked online for a lot of Ana de Armas takes. HOWEVA, I don’t think I would’ve cast someone as Marilyn Monroe that can’t drop their own accent. You can’t chalk that up to an artistic choice. It’s just bad. That being said, still watching the day this drops,” a third wrote.

Viewers defend Ana de Armas’ Marilyn Monroe accent in Blonde

Others have defended De Armas’ voice, with one writing: “Everyone seems fixated on Ana de Armas’ accent in BLONDE but i think that only makes the film more interesting; it emphasizes the inherent artifice in biopics (and in acting overall), which imo is appropriate in a work seemingly dedicated to exploring artifice versus reality.”

“Ana de Armas coming from Cuba knowing zero English in 2016 would be insanely proud of Ana de Armas playing Marilyn Monroe with accent and all in 2022,” another tweeted.

“If you consider that Ana de Armas has only been speaking English a few years, it’s pretty impressive that she can suppress her accent as much as she can. Anyway, everything else looks amazing enough that I can deal,” a third wrote.

Blonde is due for release on September 28 on Netflix.