Ana de Armas Says Blonde Cast Asked Marilyn Monroe for ‘Permission’ Ahead of Filming

Ana de Armas says the cast and crew of Blonde treated Marilyn Monroe’s spirit with the utmost respect during the filming of the upcoming psychological drama—and that began with asking the star for her permission.

“We got this big card and everyone in the crew wrote a message to her. Then we went to the cemetery and put it on her grave. We were asking for permission in a way,” de Armas told AnOther Magazine for their latest cover story.

The actress, who received a 14-minute standing ovation for her portrayal of the late Monroe at the film’s premiere, says that the responsibility of telling the legendary bombshell’s story was something that everyone on set took seriously.

“Everyone felt a huge responsibility, and we were very aware of the side of the story we were going to tell—the story of Norma Jeane, the person behind this character, Marilyn Monroe. Who was she really?”

That’s the question posed by the Andrew Dominik-directed film as it explores the dissonance between Norma Jeane Baker and her famous sex symbol alter ego.

“The more famous Marilyn became, the more invisible Norma Jeane became—Norma was this person no one ever actually met,” de Armas said of the explicit film, which earned a NC-17 rating. “And Marilyn was someone even she herself talked about in the third person. In some ways Marilyn saved her, gave her a life, but at the same time she became her prison.”

De Armas Says Blonde Role Was Emotionally Challenging: ‘I Would Just Start Sobbing’

While de Armas has been praised by critics for her moving, realistic performance in the film, the Cuban actress says that the role of Monroe was a difficult one emotionally.

“Don’t get me wrong, I had so much fun. I wasn’t by any means in character for nine weeks, not between takes, not in my lunch break. I was Ana. But emotionally? The weight of it stayed with me for sure,” she said.

Related: Adrien Brody Heaps Praise on Ana de Armas in Blonde: ‘I’m Still Blown Away’

Because of her intense preparation for the film, de Armas said that there was “no way to unplug” from the role of Monroe and she often found the emotional weight carrying over into her personal life.

“I don’t want it to seem like I’m saying, ‘Marilyn and I were connected’—not at all. But I was thinking of her so much, some days I would go home and have dinner and as I was washing the dishes I would just start sobbing, crying and crying, because I had this terrible feeling—I knew I couldn’t fix it,” she added.

Blonde will be available to stream on Netflix September 28.