Ana de Armas
Who Is Ana de Armas?
Ana Celia de Armas Caso is one of Hollywood’s most captivating and versatile actresses today. She was born on April 30, 1988, in Santa Cruz del Norte, Cuba. She holds both Cuban and Spanish citizenship.
Her rise is remarkable. She left Cuba at 18 with almost nothing. She arrived in Spain with 200 euros and a suitcase. Today, she commands some of the biggest stages in the world.
She is best known for her star turns in Blade Runner 2049, Knives Out, No Time to Die, and Blonde. Most importantly, she made history by becoming the first Cuban actress ever nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.
In 2025, she headlined the John Wick spinoff Ballerina, cementing her place as one of Hollywood’s most bankable leading women.
Early Life: Cuba, Poverty, and a Dream Bigger Than Her Town
Growing Up in Santa Cruz del Norte
Ana Celia de Armas Caso was born on April 30, 1988, in Santa Cruz del Norte, Cuba. She grew up in a small coastal town east of Havana. She was raised alongside her brother by her parents, Ramón de Armas, a former teacher and school principal, and Ana Caso, an employee of the Cuban Ministry of Education.
Her childhood was not easy. She grew up during Cuba’s “Special Period” — a time of deep economic crisis following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Money was scarce. Electricity often cut out. Luxuries like the internet or foreign travel were unthinkable for most families.
Yet the young Ana found magic in every story. She would watch movies on a neighbor’s TV. She fell in love with storytelling. Furthermore, she began to dream of the world far beyond her small hometown.
Training at the National Theater School of Havana
At age 14, Ana de Armas began studying at the National Theater School of Havana. This was no small achievement. The school was — and remains — one of Cuba’s most prestigious institutions for the performing arts.
De Armas entered Cuba’s National Theater School at age 14, and at 16, she made her feature film debut in the Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón drama Una rosa de Francia (2006). The burgeoning actress followed with two more films, Madrigal and El edén perdido — both in 2007. However, her busy working schedule left her at odds with her instructors, and she left school at age 18 to pursue her career in Spain.
She was not expelled. She was simply outgrowing the classroom. The real world was calling.
A Brother Named Javier
The daughter of a teacher and a human resources worker, de Armas spent her early years with her brother, Javier, in a small beach town on Cuba’s northern coast. Javier has remained a quiet presence in her life. He represents the grounded family roots she has always carried with her.
The Spanish Chapter: A New Country, a New Star
Arriving in Spain With 200 Euros
Despite arriving in an unfamiliar country with few contacts and just 200 Euros to her name, de Armas hit the ground running.
She used her Spanish citizenship — passed down through her maternal grandparents — to relocate to Madrid. It was a bold and brave choice. Spain was unfamiliar. The competition was fierce. But Ana had something most people do not. She had absolute conviction.
El Internado: The Role That Made Her a Star in Spain
She landed the role of Carolina in the teen drama El Internado (2007–10). The show became one of the most-watched series in Spain for four years. Her character Carolina became a fan favourite, and suddenly Ana was a recognizable face across Spanish television.
In her own words: “Joining the cast of El Internado was the most important thing that happened to me just after arriving in Spain. It was a surprise and a great thrill to know that they were taking a chance on me.”
Therefore, in the span of weeks — from stepping off a plane in Madrid to appearing on Spanish primetime television — Ana de Armas proved that her confidence in herself was not misplaced.
Spanish Films and Growing Fame
After El Internado, she left the show just before its final season and continued to act in Spanish-language series and films. Her six years in Spain gave her stage presence, emotional range, and the professional experience she needed to take on Hollywood.
First Marriage: Marc Clotet
In 2011, de Armas married Spanish actor Marc Clotet, but the pair divorced in 2013. The couple began dating in 2010, and their split was described as mutual. Ana has spoken very little about this chapter of her life. She prefers to let her work speak for her.
Hollywood Arrival: Learning English and Chasing the Dream
Moving to Los Angeles (2014)
In 2014, de Armas moved to Los Angeles to pursue roles in Hollywood and began learning English.
This was another enormous leap of faith. She knew almost no English. She had no guarantee of work. However, she enrolled in classes and threw herself into the language with the same ferocity she had brought to every other challenge in her life.
She is now fluent in both Spanish and English. She is also currently learning French.
Early Hollywood Roles (2015–2016)
Her first Hollywood breakthrough came with the thriller Knock Knock (2015) alongside Keanu Reeves. The film introduced her to American audiences and proved she could hold her own opposite a major Hollywood star.
She followed this with supporting roles in War Dogs (2016) alongside Jonah Hill and Miles Teller, and Hands of Stone (2016), based on the true story of boxer Roberto Durán. Each role expanded her range. Each film opened a new door.
Career Highlights: The Roles That Changed Everything
Blade Runner 2049 (2017): A Hologram With a Heart
De Armas’ first Hollywood tentpole was Warner Bros.’ Blade Runner 2049 (2017), directed by Denis Villeneuve and produced by original Blade Runner director Ridley Scott. She played an AI hologram named Joi opposite Ryan Gosling.
Her performance was delicate and haunting. She brought genuine warmth and emotional depth to a character who technically had no soul. Critics and audiences noticed immediately.
Knives Out (2019): The Role That Broke Through
She went on to earn critical acclaim for her performance in Rian Johnson’s mystery Knives Out (2019), which earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress in a motion picture comedy/musical.
She played Marta Cabrera — a nurse drawn into a twisted family murder mystery. Her performance was warm, funny, and heartbreaking all at once. Furthermore, the role confirmed what the industry had been quietly saying for years. Ana de Armas was a star in the making.
No Time to Die (2021): Becoming a Bond Girl — But Redefining the Title
She starred as Paloma, a skilled agent who helps James Bond in Daniel Craig’s final Bond film, No Time to Die.
Her role lasted only minutes of screen time. But she stole every second of it. Audiences immediately demanded more of Paloma. Her performance sparked conversations about what a Bond film’s supporting role could look like.
Deep Water (2022): Psychological Depth and a Lead Role
In Deep Water (2022), Ana took the lead alongside Ben Affleck in a psychological thriller directed by Adrian Lyne. The film showed her willingness to take creative risks. It proved she was not simply a supporting player. She was a fully formed leading actress.
Blonde (2022): Oscar History Made
In 2022, de Armas starred as Marilyn Monroe in Blonde, which was based on Joyce Carol Oates’s fictional reimagining of the actress’s life. De Armas received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, thereby becoming the first Cuban actress to be nominated for the award.
She received nominations for an Academy Award, BAFTA, Golden Globe, and SAG Award, becoming the first Cuban actress in history nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress.
Though the film itself was divisive, no critic questioned her commitment. Her portrayal of Monroe was raw, emotional, and deeply physical. She learned to sing, to speak with Monroe’s breathiness, and to carry the weight of one of history’s most mythologized women.
De Armas was in Budapest shooting Ballerina in early 2023 when she found out she was nominated for an Academy Award. She says: “I love those kinds of moments, good news days or my birthday or things like that, when I’m filming. Because it’s an amazing reminder that I am actually doing what I love to do.”
Ghosted (2023) and Eden (2024): Staying Busy Between Blockbusters
She followed up Blonde with the romantic comedy and action thriller Ghosted (2023) opposite Chris Evans.
She then starred in Eden (2024), directed by Ron Howard. Armas co-starred with Jude Law, Vanessa Kirby, Daniel Brühl, and Sydney Sweeney in director Ron Howard’s true-story drama set in the Galapagos Islands, premiering at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival and released in 2025 by Vertical.
Ballerina (2025): Leading a $90 Million Franchise
Ballerina is a 2025 American action thriller film directed by Len Wiseman and written by Shay Hatten. Ana de Armas plays Eve Macarro, a ballerina who is beginning to train in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma. The film had a budget of $90 million and grossed $140.2 million at the box office.
The film also starred Keanu Reeves, Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Norman Reedus, Lance Reddick, and Ian McShane.
Tom Cruise, who saw the film early, said “it kicks ass” and “it’s right in that big world — you’re going to love it.”
Ana described the responsibility she felt leading the franchise: “It feels like it’s a big responsibility, or at least it feels that way to me.” She recalled an extraordinary moment when she attended Comic-Con in Brazil and was surrounded by more fans than she had ever seen in her life. “It was crazy. That’s the closest you can be to being a singer.”
Upcoming Projects: Deeper With Tom Cruise
Ana de Armas is now set to star opposite Tom Cruise in the Doug Liman-directed thriller Deeper. The pair has been seen spending time together, leading to widespread media speculation — though sources indicate they are simply working together on the upcoming project.
Personal Life: Private Chapters and a Public Journey
Relationship With Ben Affleck (2020–2021)
Ana and Ben Affleck met on the set of Deep Water in 2020. Their romance became one of the most photographed in Hollywood. They were frequently spotted together in Los Angeles and Boston. However, by January 2021, sources confirmed they had parted ways. Their split was quiet and respectful.
Manuel Anido Cuesta (2024–2025)
Ana de Armas was last known to be dating Manuel Anido Cuesta, the stepson of Cuba’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez. They were first spotted sharing a kiss in November 2024. By May 2025, their split was confirmed by a source speaking to People.
