Pedro Almodóvar is a self-professed fan of Andrew Dominik’s incredibly controversial Marilyn Monroe biopic Blonde, starring Ana de Armas. After praising her performance back in May of last year, when most of the world had yet to watch and chastise the film, the acclaimed Spanish auteur is doubling down on his love for the actress’ take on the blonde bombshell, following her Oscar nomination.
De Armas’ Oscar nod caused quite the uproar among the film community, not necessarily because of her performance, but because many believe a film like Blonde shouldn’t have been given any kind of recognition. The Netflix picture, based on the eponymous biographical fiction novel by Joyce Carol Oates, has been criticized for offering an exploitative depiction of the Hollywood icon. For Almodóvar however, there is no doubt about it – de Armas deserves the Oscar.
“Ana deserves the Oscar. What she does as Marilyn is impressive,” the Parallel Mothers director told the press at the Feroz awards, where he was presented with a lifetime achievement award. The competition is fierce, however, so the chances of a win are slim for the Spanish-Cuban actress, Almodóvar added.
This isn’t the first time the director, who has yet to work with de Armas, has complimented her work in Blonde. Back in May of 2022, Almodóvar called the performance “chillingly real,” labeling Dominik’s film as “stupendous.”
De Armas is nominated for Best Actress at the 95th Academy Awards, up against category favorites Michelle Yeoh for Everything Everywhere All At Once and Cate Blanchett for TÁR, as well as The Fabelmans‘ Michelle Williams, as well as dark horse Andrea Riseborough of To Leslie, whose nomination raised eyebrows across the board.
This is de Armas’ first Oscar nomination. Her performance in Blonde also earned her nods at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs and SAG Awards.