Ana de Armas's Parents Supported Her on Her Path to an Acting Career

Ana de Armas's parents were the pillars of support she needed to chase her dreams freely. She skipped continents in pursuit of a career in film, beginning in Cuba, moving to Spain, and finally rising to fame in the United States of America. Her story is one of sacrifice and faith, which turned out to be a dream come true.

Ana de Armas was born and raised in Havana, Cuba. She was named after her mother, Ana de Armas, an HR official. Her father, Ramon de Armas, tripped to Russia, where he studied philosophy; he also made a career for himself as a teacher. The actress has a brother named Javier, who works as a photographer.

Ana decided to pursue an acting career when she was just a teenager, and by 14, she was already a student at the National Theater School of Cuba. She went on to star in a few local films before heading to the capital city of Spain with nothing but €200. She was cast in a few Spanish films before she took off for Hollywood at 25.

Ana de Armas Brought Her Mom to a Viewing of One of Her Movies

Ana took her mother to a screening of "Blonde," a biopic about deceased actress Marylin Monroe. The actress took her mother from Cuba to Venice to see the screening. However, this was not her first viewing of the film, as her mother, who does not speak English, had previously seen the film without subtitles.

Ana revealed her observation of watching her mother watch the film in a language she does not speak. She said that her mother watched the movie with perfect understanding and that she did not have to explain anything to her. She said emotionally, "If she can understand that with no subtitles, then we hit the spot."

Ana's perception of "Blonde" changed dramatically when she thought about her father, who died when she was 32. The film tells the story of Norma Jeane, whose hardships were mainly down to being void of a father figure. Ana once said that a recent viewing of the movie gave her the feeling of what it's like not to have a father all her life.

Ana Had a 'Human-Contact-Based Childhood'

Ana had left her life in Cuba to pursue a dream—losing a life of simplicity in the process. The actress described that her childhood in Havana was spent in the great outdoors. "I grew up in nature, at the beach, and playing on the streets with friends," she said, adding that her childhood experience was rather liberating.

For Ana, playing outside with her friends at the cost of a few bruises was normal. She explained that her childhood was "human-contact-based," void of standard technology like gaming consoles or DVDs. She mentioned it was more about spending time with her people than hours in front of a TV or cell phone.

The actress admitted that her upbringing resulted from her circumstances then, but now she finds that lifestyle idyllic. She said, "I go to Cuba whenever I can to visit my parents and friends, and one of the things I enjoy the most is that I can forget about my phone." In conclusion, Ana said it's a refreshing life that allows her to be present.

She Told Her Parents She'd Be Back before Leaving to Try Another Life in Madrid

Ana took a significant risk while studying at the National Theater School of Cuba. To attain life in Madrid, Ana dropped out of film school on the cusp of graduation. She was just 18 at the time and saw the move fit. She said, "I had to leave before I presented my final thesis. I was 18 years old, and I felt like the time was right to move on."

Ana felt that the relatively small film industry in Cuba would not give her the opportunities she wanted, as the underdevelopment of the sector and the nonexistence of film agencies were not promising to aspiring actors. Similarly, "The Untouchables" star Andy Garcia was born in Havana and made a name for himself in Hollywood.

With her €200 earnings from her last film in Cuba, Ana took a leap of faith and ran off to Europe, telling her parents that she would return when she ran out of money. Within a week, Ana was all out of cash but managed to hold on to her dreams thanks to her support from friends of friends living in Spain.

Ana's Parents Were Supportive of Her Life Choices

As much as Ana did what she had to do to make it, she was well aware of the risk involved and appreciative of her parents' faith in her decisions. She recalled informing her parents about her relocation decision and how they supported her. In hindsight, Ana feels lucky to have parents like hers.

After all these years, Ana reflects on how things played out, saying that she now sees how "terrifying it must have been" for her mother and now-deceased father. As an adult, she has a better understanding of the thoughts her parents potentially had.

The Cuban actress has possibly surpassed the expectations of her 8-year-old self boarding the plane to Madrid. After moving to the US, Ana has starred in films like "Blade Runner" with Eva Mendez's partner for the past twelve years, Ryan Gosling.

To segue a little, superstars Ryan and Eva share two children. And despite their busy lives, both parents choose to look after their little ones on their own strength and without nannies.

Ana was also cast next to Daniel Craig—a recent honoree of the UK royal family—in "No Time to Die." She rejoined Daniel on screen in 2019, starring in "Knives Out" and earning herself a Golden Globe nomination.