Ana de Armas discussed her 10-year “beautiful friendship” with Keanu Reeves at the Red Sea International Film Festival’s “In Conversation” on December 5, 2025. The Oscar-nominated star noted their special bond persisted despite her early English struggles after moving to Los Angeles over a decade ago.
De Armas called her action roles in No Time to Die, The Gray Man, Ghosted, and Ballerina—a John Wick spin-off—unplanned, as she never viewed herself as athletic. She described Ballerina‘s grueling months-long training as exhausting yet thrilling, aided by Reeves and director Chad Stahelski. The festival highlighted her rise from early hardships to Hollywood fame.
De Armas began with a rule-breaking film role as a Havana theater student, then saved 300 euros to move to Madrid at 18. Spanish TV fame typecast her as a young girl, leading to her 2016 L.A. move with three suitcases, her dog, and no English. Breakthroughs came in Blade Runner 2049 with Denis Villeneuve and her Oscar-nominated Blonde role, deepened by Marilyn Monroe research.
The Red Sea International Film Festival runs until December 13, 2025, featuring stars like de Armas.
About the author
Daya Nanoskar is an Entertainment Writer at Awesome TV and a contributor to AWSM Times. Daya covers film news, streaming releases, celebrity updates and industry news across Hollywood and Bollywood, and has written more than 2,300 stories for Awesome TV. Story tips and corrections: hello@awesometv.com.
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