Ana de Armas: My casting as Marilyn Monroe is groundbreaking

Ana de Armas has described her casting as Marilyn Monroe as "groundbreaking".

The 31-year-old actress stars as the Hollywood icon in upcoming biopic 'Blonde' and she thinks that Andrew Dominik's decision to cast her, a Cuban actress, as the American bombshell is a major statement.

Speaking to Vanity Fair, Ana said: "Playing Marilyn was groundbreaking. A Cuban playing Marilyn Monroe. I wanted it so badly."

The film - which is set to be released this year - will tell the story of 'The Seven Year Itch' star Marilyn, who became one of the world's most popular sex symbols throughout the 50s before her shock death in 1962 at the age of just 36.

Ana only had to audition for the director once before earning the lead role but still had to convince the producers of her suitability for the part.

Ana - who stars in upcoming James Bond blockbuster 'No Time To Die' - explained: "I only had to audition for Marilyn once and Andrew said, 'It's you,' but I had to audition for everyone else. The producers. The money people. I always have people I needed to convince. But I knew I could do it."

Likewise, her 'Knives Out' co-star Jamie Lee Curtis - whose father starred alongside Marilyn in 'Some Like it Hot' - couldn't believe her eyes when Ana played her clips of herself as Marilyn from the film.

She gushed: "I remember when she showed me a video of her screen tests for 'Blonde'. I dropped to the floor. I couldn't believe it. Ana was completely gone. She was Marilyn."

Ana admits her working relationship with director Andrew is one of the closest and most rewarding collaborations she's had since starting her acting career.

She shared: "I have never worked more closely with a director than I worked with Andrew. Yes, I have had collaborative relationships, but to get phone calls at midnight because he has an idea and he can't sleep and all of a sudden you can't sleep for the same reason."