Ana de Armas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ana de Armas
De Armas in 2025
Born	Ana Celia de Armas Caso (1988-04-30) 30 April 1988 (age 37) Havana, Cuba
Citizenship	Cuba Spain United States
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2005–present
Spouse(s)	Marc Clotet ​ ​ (m. 2011; div. 2013)​

Ana Celia de Armas Caso (born 30 April 1988) is an actress from Cuba and Spain. She started her acting journey in Cuba. Her first main role was in the romantic drama Una rosa de Francia (2006). When she was 18, she moved to Madrid, Spain. There, she became famous for starring in the popular TV show El Internado (2007–2010).

Later, Ana de Armas moved to Los Angeles. She began acting in English-speaking movies. These included the thriller Knock Knock (2015) and the comedy-crime film War Dogs (2016). She became very well-known for playing Joi, a holographic AI character, in the science fiction movie Blade Runner 2049 (2017). She also earned praise for her role as nurse Marta Cabrera in the mystery film Knives Out (2019). For Knives Out, she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical.

She continued to take on big roles. She played Paloma, a Bond girl, in the James Bond film No Time to Die (2021). She also played the famous actress Marilyn Monroe in the movie Blonde (2022). For her role as Marilyn Monroe, she made history. She became the first Cuban actress to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. In 2025, she starred in the action thriller Ballerina. This film is part of the John Wick series.

Early Life and Dreams

Ana de Armas was born in Havana, Cuba. She grew up in a town called Santa Cruz del Norte. Her grandparents on her mother's side were from Spain. Her father, Ramón de Armas, had many different jobs. He worked as a bank manager, a teacher, and a school principal. Her mother, Ana Caso, worked in human resources for the Ministry of Education. Ana de Armas has an older brother named Francisco Javier.

Growing up in Cuba, Ana de Armas experienced some challenges. There were times of food rationing and power outages. But she remembers her childhood as a happy one. She did not have internet access. She knew little about popular culture outside of Cuba. She was allowed to watch cartoons for 20 minutes on Saturdays. She also watched the Sunday movie matinee. Her family did not own a video or DVD player. She watched Hollywood movies at her neighbor's house.

She loved acting from a young age. She would practice lines in front of a mirror. She decided to become an actress when she was 12. In 2002, at age 14, she joined Havana's National Theatre of Cuba. The course was very strict. She sometimes had to hitchhike to get there. While studying, she acted in three movies. She left the four-year program early. This was because Cuban graduates had to work for the community for three years. At 18, she moved to Madrid to start her acting career. She had Spanish citizenship through her grandparents.

Career Highlights

Starting in Spanish Films (2006–2013)

In Cuba, Ana de Armas got a main role in Una rosa de Francia (2006). She starred alongside Álex González. A Cuban actor, Jorge Perugorría, suggested her for the role. The director saw her audition and gave her the part. She traveled to Spain to promote the film. There, she met Juan Lanja, who became her Spanish agent. She also acted in El edén perdido (2007). She had a smaller role in Madrigal (2007).

De Armas (standing at the center with number 4) with the cast of El internado in 2008

At 18, de Armas moved to Madrid. Soon after arriving, she met a casting director. He had seen her in Una rosa de Francia. Two months later, she was cast as Carolina in El Internado. She starred in this drama for six seasons, from 2007 to 2010. The show was set in a boarding school. It became very popular. Ana de Armas became a celebrity in Spain. During a break, she also starred in the comedy Mentiras y Gordas (2009). Even though El Internado was popular, she felt she was only offered similar young roles. She asked to leave the show before its final season.

Afterward, she spent a few months in New York City. She wanted to learn English. She was convinced to return to Spain. She starred in 17 episodes of the historical drama Hispania (2010–2011). She then acted in the horror films El callejón (2011) and Anabel (2015). She also appeared in the drama Por un puñado de besos (2014). There was a time when she didn't have much acting work. She felt worried about her career.

Moving to Hollywood and Becoming Famous (2014–2019)

De Armas at the San Diego Comic-Con in 2017

Her new Hollywood agent encouraged her to move to Los Angeles. When she arrived in 2014, she had to start over. She spoke very little English. In her first auditions, she often didn't understand what she was saying. She studied English full-time for four months. She didn't want to only play roles for Latina actresses. Her first Hollywood movie was Knock Knock (2015). She starred with Keanu Reeves. She learned her lines by sounding them out. Keanu Reeves then asked her to be in Daughter of God. This film was later released as Exposed in 2016.

Ana de Armas had a supporting role in War Dogs (2016). She played the wife of an arms dealer. She learned her lines phonetically again. She also starred with Édgar Ramírez in Hands of Stone (2016). She played the wife of boxer Roberto Durán. This was the first Hollywood film she had shot. The director had seen her in El Internado. He asked her to audition in Los Angeles.

In Denis Villeneuve's futuristic thriller Blade Runner 2049 (2017), she played Joi. Joi was a holographic AI girlfriend. She was the girlfriend of Ryan Gosling's character. Critics praised her performance. Mark Kermode said she brought "three-dimensional warmth" to her character. Anthony Lane called her "wondrous." The film did not do as well as expected. Ana de Armas spent much of the next year in Cuba. She bought a house there. She was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress for this role. In 2017, she also had a role in Overdrive.

de Armas in 2018

In 2018, de Armas starred in the medical drama Corazón. She played a woman with a heart condition. This short film aimed to raise awareness about organ donation. In 2019, her scenes with Himesh Patel in the romantic comedy Yesterday were cut from the final movie. The director said a love triangle idea didn't work well with audiences.

Ana de Armas's role in Knives Out (2019) made her a big star. She played Marta Cabrera, an immigrant nurse. The film was a murder mystery. When she first heard about the role, she was not excited. She thought it might be a typical "Latina caregiver" part. But she soon realized her character was much more. Critics loved her performance. Tom Shone said she made "goodness interesting." Benjamin Lee called her performance "striking." The movie was a huge success at the box office. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical. She also won a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Main Roles and Wider Recognition (2020–Present)

de Armas at the San Sebastián International Film Festival in 2022

In 2020, Ana de Armas appeared in four films. She had a supporting role in The Informer. She played a femme fatale in The Night Clerk. She starred in the Netflix movie Sergio (2020). She played Carolina Larriera, a U.N. official. She also reunited with Wagner Moura in Wasp Network. This spy thriller was filmed in Cuba. It was her first time working in her home country since she was a teenager. Critics praised her performances in these films.

In 2021, de Armas joined Daniel Craig again in No Time to Die. She played Paloma, a Cuban CIA agent. The director wrote the character with her in mind. She described Paloma as lively and "very irresponsible." Paloma claims to have little training. But she shows great skill in fighting. No Time to Die was a big success worldwide. Critics praised de Armas's "witty" performance. She also starred in the thriller Deep Water. In 2022, she was in the action thriller The Gray Man.

De Armas played Marilyn Monroe in the Netflix movie Blonde (2022). This film was based on a book about Marilyn Monroe. The director saw her in Knock Knock. He chose her after her first audition. To prepare, de Armas worked with a coach for nine months. She studied hundreds of photos, videos, and films of Monroe. Even with some initial doubts about her accent, her performance was highly praised. Catherine Bray called it "powerful." Richard Lawson said de Armas was "fiercely committed" to the role. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. She also received nominations for the BAFTA, Golden Globe, and SAG Award. She was the first Cuban to be nominated for an Academy Award in this category.

De Armas at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2024

In 2023, de Armas starred with Chris Evans in Ghosted. In 2024, she appeared in the survival thriller Eden. In 2025, she starred in Ballerina. This is a spin-off from the John Wick series. She played a vengeful assassin in the film.

Personal Life

Ana de Armas has dual citizenship. She is a citizen of both Cuba and Spain. She moved to Los Angeles when she was 26. As of 2023, she lives in Vermont.

She was married to Spanish actor Marc Clotet. They married in July 2011 and divorced in early 2013. She dated American actor Ben Affleck from March 2020 to January 2021. They met while filming Deep Water in late 2019.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

Video games

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Ana de Armas para niños