NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Years before was using an ice skate to slice a neck in 鈥淔rom the World of John Wick: Ballerina,鈥� she co-starred with in a much different film.
The erotic thriller 鈥淜nock Knock,鈥� released in 2015, was de Armas鈥� first Hollywood film. De Armas, born and raised in Cuba, had just come to Los Angeles after acting in Spain. English was new to her, so she had to learn her lines phonetically.
鈥淚t was tough and I felt miserable at times and very lonely,鈥� she says in an interview. 鈥淏ut I wanted to prove myself. I remember being in meetings with producers and they would be like, 鈥極K, I鈥檒l see you in a year when you learn English.鈥� Before I left the office, I would say, 鈥業鈥檒l see you in two months.鈥欌��
Since 鈥淜nock Knock,鈥� her rise to stardom has been one of the last decade's most meteoric. She was radiant even as a hologram in 鈥淏lade Runner 2049.鈥� She stole the show in Rian Johnson鈥檚 star-studded She breezed through the Bond movie She was Oscar nominated for her Marilyn Monroe in 鈥�
And now, 10 years after those scenes with Reeves, de Armas is for the first time headlining a big summer action movie. in theaters Friday, de Armas鈥� progressive development as an unlikely action star reaches a butt-kicking crescendo, inheriting the mantle of one of the most esteemed, high-body-count franchises.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a big moment in my career, and I know that. I can see that,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t makes me look back in many ways, just being with Keanu in another film in such a different place in my career. It definitely gives me perspective of the journey and everything since we met. Things have come far since then.鈥�
Taking on the pressure of 鈥楯ohn Wick鈥�
While de Armas, 37, isn鈥檛 new to movie stardom, or the tabloid coverage that comes with it, many of her career highlights have been streaming releases. 鈥淭he Gray Man鈥� and 鈥淏londe鈥� were Netflix. 鈥淕hosted鈥� was Apple TV+. But 鈥淏allerina鈥� will rely on de Armas (and abiding 鈥淛ohn Wick鈥� fandom) to put moviegoers in seats.
Heading in, analysts expected an opening weekend of around $35-40 million, which would be a solid result for a spinoff that required extensive reshoots. Reviews, particularly for de Armas playing a ballerina-assassin, have been good.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of pressure,鈥� says director Len Wiseman. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot to carry all on her shoulders. But she鈥檒l be the first person to tell you: 鈥楶ut it on. Let me carry the weight. I鈥檓 totally game.鈥欌��
De Armas, whose talents include the ability to be present and personable on even the most frenzied red carpets, has done the globe-trotting work to make 鈥淏allerina鈥� a big deal: , gamely and cheerfully deflecting questions about her next film, 鈥淒eeper,鈥� with .
Yet for someone so comfortable in the spotlight, one of the more interesting facts about de Armas is that she lives part time in that bastion of young A-listers: Vermont.
鈥淵eah, it surprised many people,鈥� she says, chuckling. 鈥淎s soon as I went up there, I knew that was going to be a place that would bring me happiness and sanity and peace. But I know for a Cuban who doesn鈥檛 like cold very much, it鈥檚 very strange.鈥�
鈥楾his has been a surprise鈥�
Winding up in northern New England is just as unexpected as landing an action movie like 鈥淏allerina.鈥� She grew up with the conviction, from age 12, that she would be an actor. But she studied theater.
鈥淚 never thought I was going to do action,鈥� de Armas says. 鈥淲hat was relatable for me was watching Cuban actors on TV and in movies. That was my reality. That鈥檚 all I knew, so the actors I looked up to were those.鈥�
De Armas also had bad asthma, which makes some of the things she does in 鈥淏allerina鈥� 鈥� a movie with a flamethrower duel 鈥� all the more remarkable to her.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 do anything,鈥� she remembers. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 run. I sometimes couldn鈥檛 play with my friends. I had to just be home and be still so I wouldn鈥檛 get an asthma attack. So I never thought of myself as someone athletic or able to run just a block. So this has been a surprise.鈥�
At 14, she auditioned and got into Havana鈥檚 National Theatre of Cuba. Four years later, with Spanish citizenship through her grandparents, she moved to Madrid to pursue acting. When she arrive in LA in 2014, she had to start all over again.
Now as one of the top Latina stars in Hollywood, she's watched as immigrant paths like hers have grow increasingly arduous if not impossible. The day after she spoke to The Associated Press, the Trump administration and heavy restrictions on citizens of other countries, including Cuba.
鈥淚 got here at a time when things were definitely easier in that sense,鈥� says de Armas, who announced her then-imminent U.S. citizenship . 鈥淪o I just feel very lucky for that. But it鈥檚 difficult. Everything that鈥檚 going on is very difficult and very sad and really challenging for many people. I definitely wish things were different.鈥�
鈥楽he doesn鈥檛 just enjoy the view'
Chad Stahelski, director of the four 鈥淛ohn Wick鈥� films and producer of 鈥淏allerina,鈥� was about to start production on 鈥淛ohn Wick: Chapter 4鈥� when producer Basil Iwanyk and Nathan Kahane, president of Lionsgate, called to set up a Zoom about casting de Armas. He quickly watched every scene she had been in.
鈥淗ow many people would have played the Bond girl kind of goofy like that?鈥� he says. 鈥淚 know that I can harden people up. I know I can make them the assassin, but getting the charm and the love and the humor out of someone is trickier. But she had it.鈥�
In 鈥淜nives Out,鈥� Stahelski saw someone who could go from scared and uncertain to a look of 鈥淚'm going to stab you in the eye.鈥�
鈥淚 like that in my action heroes,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to see the stoic, superhero vibe where everything鈥檚 going to be OK.鈥�
But it wasn鈥檛 just her acting or her charisma that convinced Stahelski. It was her life story.
鈥�'John Wick' is all hard work 鈥� and I don鈥檛 mean just in the training. You鈥檝e got to love it and put yourself out there,鈥� says Stahelski. 鈥淲hen you get her story about how she came from the age of 12, got into acting, what she sacrificed, what she did, that鈥檚 what got my attention. 鈥極h, she鈥檚 a perseverer. She doesn鈥檛 just enjoy the view, she enjoys the climb.鈥欌��
When that quote is read back to her, de Armas laughs, and agrees.
鈥淏eing Cuban, and my upbringing and my family and everything I鈥檝e done, I鈥檝e never had a plan B,鈥� she says. 鈥淚鈥檝e never had that thing of, 鈥榃ell, if it doesn鈥檛 work, my family can help.鈥� Or, 鈥業 can do this other career.鈥� This was it. And I also knew, besides being the thing I loved the most, this was my survival. This is how I live. This is how I feed myself and my family. So it鈥檚 also a sense of, I don鈥檛 know, responsibility.鈥�
That makes her reflect back to when she was just trying to make it in Hollywood, sounding out words, trying not to disappoint directors whose instructions she could barely understand, trying not to be intimidated by the action star across from her who had just finished shooting the first 鈥淛ohn Wick.鈥�
鈥淚 was so committed to do it,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 was so invested in the trying of it, just giving it a shot. When I give something a shot, I try my best, whatever that is. Then I can actually say: I gave it a shot.鈥�
Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
