Blonde's Adrien Brody Was Completely Blown Away By This One Detail In The Biopic

2022 has already been a banner year for larger-than-life biopics. Austin Butler dazzled in Baz Luhrmann's "Elvis" and "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story," recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, offering an appropriately parodic skewering of the celebrity hagiography. This September, audiences will indulge in the latest celebrity biopic with "Blonde," starring Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe.

Well, biopic-ish. Based on the 2010 novel by Joyce Carol Oates, "Blonde" will certainly take some fictitious liberties when it comes to the life and career of Monroe. Rather than a cut-and-dried account of her life, writes Christy Lemire for RogerEbert.com, "Blonde" is a "fantasia of fame," more interested in the idea of Marilyn Monroe, also known as Norma Jeane Baker, than nailing the biographical details. That's not to say, however, that "Blonde" is an undetailed portrayal. Here's the jaw-dropping detail that impressed Adrien Brody, who plays Monroe's third husband, Arthur Miller.

Early reviews of "Blonde" have praised Ana de Armas' bold and vivid performance of Marilyn Monroe. But, according to her co-star Adrien Brody, de Armas was just as impressive on set. The first time Brody saw de Armas in full hair and makeup, he recalled, was right before shooting their first scene together. "I was transported to another time and place," the actor told Variety at the film's premiere. "I really thought she channeled [Marilyn] — she brought a nuanced, emotionally present [and] connected impression of her. I'm still blown away by it. It was really impressive."

Coming from Brody, that stunned reaction is no small potatoes. The actor is a renowned talent in his own right, having been the youngest actor to receive the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2002's "The Pianist."

De Armas is more humble about her embodiment of the famed actress. De Armas asserts that it was challenging to transform into Monroe, especially when it came to imitating the platinum-haired star's breathy voice. "It was probably the most complex part of the transformation for me just because, well, English is not my first language to begin with," said the Cuban-born actress in a press conference. "For me," she continued, "it was more important to find that emotional truth and move people than just copying the voice." Audiences can experience the transformation themselves when "Blonde" opens in limited release in New York and Los Angeles on Friday, September 16. The film hits Netflix on September 28.