Ana de Armas on Her Bond With Keanu Reeves and Her Rise as an Action Star

From Havana to Hollywood blockbusters, the Oscar-nominated actor reflects on a career built on risk, reinvention, and an unlikely action-movie journey

Ana de Armas recently sat down for an “In Conversation” session at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia, where she opened up about her long-standing friendship with Keanu Reeves and her unexpected evolution into one of Hollywood’s most in-demand action performers.

The Cuban-born star revealed that she first met Reeves shortly after arriving in Los Angeles, when she was cast in Eli Roth’s thriller Knock Knock. At the time, she barely spoke English and relied on her co-stars’ support. Reeves, she recalled, was “incredibly kind and generous,” helping her feel welcome during a period that was both exciting and overwhelming. Their reunion years later in Ballerina, the upcoming film set in the John Wick universe, felt “full circle” to her — especially because Reeves had been part of her very first experience in the United States film industry.

lthough de Armas is now often associated with high-intensity action roles, she admitted that this path was never something she planned. Her acclaimed turn in No Time to Die introduced audiences to her action potential, which continued with films like The Gray Man and Ghosted. But Ballerina required the most demanding physical preparation of her career. She described months of intense training and stunt rehearsals, noting that the work continued even while filming due to the scale and complexity of the action sequences.

During the talk, de Armas traced her journey back to her childhood in Havana, where she grew up performing with friends and developed a firm belief that acting was her only future. After training at Havana’s National Theater school and appearing in Cuban films, she saved enough money to move to Madrid at just 18. Early success in Spanish television quickly made her recognizable, but also led to typecasting. Determined to pursue bigger challenges, she moved again — this time to Los Angeles, without speaking English and without knowing if she would ever find work.

Her breakthrough came with Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049, which she still refers to as a “dream.” Soon after, she earned global praise for her vibrant role in No Time to Die and ultimately an Academy Award nomination for portraying Marilyn Monroe in Blonde — a role she has described as one of the most difficult and transformative of her life.

Despite her current fame, de Armas said she is increasingly aware of the pressure that comes with success, including the risk of being typecast again — this time as an action star. She emphasized that she still seeks roles that challenge her, and she refuses to “play it safe,” adding that she has always fought to shape her own career rather than accept whatever is offered.

For de Armas, Ballerina represents another defining step — a demanding project that strengthens her place in Hollywood, while also honoring a friendship that began long before she became a global star.