Ana de Armas has had quite the year. The Cuban actress, who has already enjoyed a successful career in the Spanish film industry, not only starred opposite Ryan Gosling in 2018 Hollywood Blade Runner 2049, but she's now secured a role in the new Bond film.
After impressing fans and amassing over one million followers on Instagram, de Armas has also scored her first campaign. We sat down with with the star to discuss it, while touching on her achievements, how she's handling fame and what it's like working in a male-dominated world.
"For me, fame may be in response to my work, but I don’t focus on that result. I want to think and put my energy into the journey, that’s what I enjoy the most. I don’t personally feel like my life has changed. Despite fame, I always look for normalcy in my life and that’s what makes me the happiest, so it’s how I try to keep it. Maybe that’s the reason I feel like I’ve coped so well."
"Social media is great because you control your own platform. You have the power to show who you are and what you believe in out there – whoever follows you gets it straight from the source, without any filters, and I like that it’s up to each individual to decide.
"However, I grew up in Cuba and had a lifetime with no social media or Internet – the only thing I grew up with was human contact and interactions, so I do think social media can become dangerous when it takes over your life. It’s not fun anymore when all that you are doing is for the purpose of social media – your life will be going straight by you, without you even realising it, and when that happens, it’s a real shame.
"It has many other negative sides, of course. I also think we need to be careful about posting things, thinking that it will have no consequences. There are so many people watching us who will believe that what you or we say is the truth. We need to remember that we are making a statement in every post we do and sharing something in an irresponsible way is just madness. We should all be accountable for what we say on social media, as much as in real life."
"I try not to read negative comments, but sometimes I do come across them and I’m not going to lie, they affect me. When you have a solid family life, a good group of friends in a healthy environment and you know what your priorities are in life, then those things don’t really matter. They are not even secondary – they are in another world! But, yes, I do read them and I pay attention to them. Sometimes, I will make a spelling mistake and people will correct me – I thank them and fix it, but then when it gets to something else, something aggressive or hurtful, there’s no point on engaging. I can’t put my energy into that."
"When I go onto the red carpet, it’s only ever because of something I care about. It’s because I care to support a friend or a movie I’m in – I have to be there for a reason, otherwise, it feels a bit awkward and I can feel out of place. I really enjoy the process, those meetings with my stylist, picking the dresses and the shoes and going to the fittings. All of that is fun, but I am still learning. That’s why I like my stylist, because she knows me and gets me. She understands my spirit, what I am comfortable in – but sometimes she pushes me, towards something new – 'You have to be more edgy,' or 'Try this colour!' So I think ‘OK’ why not. It’s fun and a way to project my personality or even to play around and wear something I would never have dared to put on before – so I do enjoy it.
"I don’t believe that my style has purposely changed since I moved to Hollywood, but if I compare my style to when I lived in Cuba, where there were no stores and no ads, to moving to Los Angeles where people have a constant obsession with fashion and shopping – I think I can’t help but change a few things. If magazines and billboards tell me to buy those boots... then sometimes I will buy those boots! And why not, it is fun to indulge yourself once in a while and buy some nice shoes, but I’m just not always like that."
"These roles are definitely rare. That’s my fight and I always try to go for them when they come up. As a woman and a Latina, it’s pretty challenging. I have two separate labels to fight against, but I know I just have to stay strong and true to what I believe in. It’s important not to compromise your work and ideas for the industry and what some might be expecting you to do or recommending you to follow. It’s about being smart and patient and staying true to your path. The roles are there, but you need to find and fight for them. That’s why I love roles like my new short movie coming out in February, Entering Red, with Campari where I play a leading female protagonist who is in charge of her own destiny."
"Denis [Villeneuve, the director of Blade Runner 2049] created such a comfortable, healthy and safe environment for all of us that I never thought about it in that way. And Ryan [Gosling], our lead actor, made it exactly the same. They are great stars onscreen, but on human levels, they are just as wonderful, and I always felt very respected and valued.
"Besides that, we had so many amazing actresses in the movie, and many incredible women in the crew. My make-up artist, our costume designer, our casting director, producer, and many more, all of them incredibly talented and professional, it was fantastic. For me, it was kinda scary to be on such a big set with so many things to take on, that it would have been really sad, if I would have had to, on top of everything, deal with something like sexism. I’m glad that wasn’t the case."
"Working on Campari’s new short movie was very exciting – it’s the first campaign I have ever worked on, which is huge! If I think of names in the industry, I think of Campari first – it’s such a legendary brand and has been around forever, so I feel honoured to be a part of it all – especially to celebrate the 100 years of the iconic Negroni cocktail. I followed the last two films and feel that Campari has really made an impact by working with brilliant directors and actors to create real stories. Just like the drink, the new film, directed by award-winning director Matteo Garrone, is classic, elegant and mysterious. I hadn’t had the chance to play such an intriguing role until now, so this is all very exciting."
