At long last, the much talked about 2022 Netflix movie Blonde has finally arrived, giving everyone the opportunity to watch Ana de Armas take on one of the biggest roles of her career. The NC-17 biographical drama, which focuses on the late Marilyn Monroe, includes great actors and actresses from top to bottom, with big-time names like Adrien Brody and Bobby Cannavale portraying fictionalized and dramatized versions of Norma Jean’s most famous lovers during the Hollywood starlet’s short life.
If you have watched the movie, or are planning on giving it a spin at some point in the near future, you are probably wondering who appears on the Blonde cast. Well, look no further because we are about to break down the stars, who they play, and why they look so familiar. That being said, let’s dive straight in…
Ana de Armas (Norma Jeane/Marilyn Monroe)
Following in the footsteps of Michelle Williams and other actresses who have portrayed Marilyn Monroe on the silver screen, Ana de Armas leads the Blonde cast as the Hollywood icon as she transforms herself from Norma Jeane Mortenson to her larger-than-life persona.
Though perhaps her highest profile movie yet, de Armas is no stranger when it comes to massive movies, in terms of budget, recognition, and ensembles casts. In the past decade alone, de Armas has become one of the biggest names in Hollywood, balancing science fiction spectacles like Blade Runner 2049 and one of the most influential whodunits with Knives Out. And since those movies came out in 2017 and 2019 respectively, de Armas has landed unforgettable roles in No Time to Die and The Gray Man, both of which had absolutely massive budgets.
Adrien Brody (The Playwright)
Adrien Brody shows up in Blonde as “The Playwright,” a fictionalized version of Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Arthur Miller, who was married to Marilyn Monroe from 1956 until a year before her 1962 death.
Perhaps best known for his Oscar-winning performance in 2002’s The Pianist, Brody has been in a little bit of everything since making his professional acting debut more than 30 years ago. Over the years, Brody has popped up in everything from family-friendly sports movies like Angels in the Outfield to historical fantasy dramas like Midnight in Paris. Brody has also appeared in four of Wes Anderson’s best movies since first working with the director on The Darjeeling Limited in 2007 (the director-actor combo will work together again in the upcoming Asteroid City). His small-screen credits include Peaky Blinders, Chapelwaite, Succession, and Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.
Bobby Cannavale (The Ex-Athlete)
Showing up as “The Ex-Athlete,” which serves as a fictionalized version of Marilyn Monroe’s second husband and New York Yankees Joe DiMaggio, is Bobby Cannavale.
The two-time Primetime Emmy Award winner (Will & Grace and Boardwalk Empire), Cannavale has built up an incredibly versatile resume for himself the 20-plus years, with memorable performances on shows like Third Watch, Nurse Jackie, Vinyl, Master of None, Mr. Robot, Homecoming, and countless others. His film career is just as prolific with roles in Chef, Blue Jasmine, Ant-Man (and Ant-Man and the Wasp), Motherless Brooklyn, This is the Night, and Sing 2, to just name a few. And let’s not forget his stage career, which includes run on Glengarry Glen Ross, White Rabbit Red Rabbit, The Hairy Ape, and Medea.
Julianne Nicholson (Gladys)
Julianne Nicholson appears in Blonde as Marilyn Monroe’s emotionally unstable mother Gladys, whose relationship with her famous daughter has been explored previously in My Week with Marilyn.
Like Bobby Cannavale, Nicholson had a prominent role on the HBO crime drama Boardwalk Empire. Throughout her career, Nicholson has also appeared on shows like Masters of Sex, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Ally McBeal, and Mare of Easttown, which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award of her own in 2021. During that same stretch of time, Nicholson found success on the silver screen, having given commanding performances in everything from Kinsey to August: Osage County and Black Mass to I, Tonya. She is next set to appear in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, which CinemaBlend called “an instant midnight classic” following its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2022.
Xavier Samuel (Cass Chaplin)
Taking on the role of Cass Chaplin on the Blonde cast is Xavier Samuel, who brings with him years of experience in his take on the son of the silent movie icon, Charlie Chaplin.
Fans of the Twilight movies may recognize Samuel from his portrayal of Riley Biers in 2009’s The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, a role he followed with performances in Adore, Fury, Mr. Church, and The Death and Life of Otto Bloom. In recent years, Samuel has appeared on shows like Seven Types of Ambiguity and Tell Me Your Secrets as well as Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, in which he played guitarist Scotty Moore.
Evan Williams (Eddy G. Robinson Jr.)
Taking on the role of Eddy G. Robinson Jr. on the Blonde cast is Evan Williams.
Prior to bringing the son of Hollywood Icon Edward G. Robinson to life in the new Netflix movie, Williams found success on the small screen, specifically on the Canadian teen drama series Degrassi: The Next Generation. Since then, Williams has gone on to appear on shows like Murdoch Mysteries, Baxter, Awkward, Versailles, Fuller House, and Westworld. His film credits include Ride, Farhope Tower, and Lloyd the Conqueror to name only a few.
Lily Fisher (Young Norma Jeane)
And then there is Lily Fisher, who appears on the Blonde cast as a younger version of Norma Jeane.
The youngest member of the main portion of the cast, Fisher has appeared on shows like General Hospital, Life & Beth, Station 19, and Grey’s Anatomy throughout her five-year career.
This is just a portion of the Blonde cast, as the list of actors involved with the biographical drama also includes names like Caspar Phillipson, David Warshofsky, Toby Huss, Sara Paxton, Rebecca Wisocky, and Dan Butler. But remember, if you want to see the stars from the 2022 movie, you will first need a Netflix subscription.
