The 2020–21 season was gearing up to be the breakout of Ana de Armas. After gaining critical acclaim for her leading performance in “Knives Out” (2019), de Armas hit a career jackpot: a Marilyn Monroe biopic, an erotic thriller with Ben Affleck and even a starring role as the newest Bond girl. This is, of course, until almost all of those films were delayed in release with the pandemic or even off-loaded to streaming services. So what happened to Ana de Armas? Is she the burgeoning star of acting that we all thought, or has she just created a strong media narrative for herself?
It would be foolish to argue that some of de Armas’ star-power doesn’t come simply from the paparazzi story that she creates. If not from “Knives Out,” you likely know de Armas from her turn as star of tabloids and gossip blogs, which reported on her relationship with Ben Affleck.Affleck and de Armas met on the set of “Deep Water” (2022) and soon became a media hit. They were spotted getting coffee from Dunkin’ and sporting their matching heart necklaces. Out of this media frenzy even came off-shoots, like “Ana de Armas Updates” (@armasupdates), a de Armas fan account on Twitter that would mock her and Affleck’s inability to wear masks and was ultimately blocked by de Armas. Thus, to say that the Ana de Armas spotlight comes entirely from her acting prowess would be false: She’s created a gossip circus around her, one that elevates her star.
In the acting department, de Armas holds strong — though maybe not a straight-and-narrow path to leading stardom, de Armas makes the most of all her projects. “Knives Out” is exemplary of this; de Armas puts great work into the film, presenting as an innocent, shy onlooker who must roll with the punches. Still, “Knives Out” was an ensemble-based movie, so an audience member may not leave thinking of a singular performance. Though de Armas certainly created a strong character in the film, it would be a stretch to call the film her star-making turn. In a more singularly leading role, de Armas shines opposite Affleck in the long-awaited “Deep Water.” This performance shows a different side of de Armas, filled with thrill and sexuality. This performance, however, is hindered by the ultimate failure of the film’s narrative. Thus, “Deep Water” may not be de Armas’ turn to hardcore actor either, merely because it won’t get enough engaged viewership.
So what made Ana de Armas’ celebrity status — her acting or her image? Likely a bit of both. It would be gauche to say it was all in the media coverage, as she’s put out good performances. Still, her role in the public eye cannot be ignored. It will be interesting to see whether de Armas can get her star turn, moving from celebrity to full-blown actor, or if she will be forever stuck within this swinging pendulum of half-successes.
