Blonde is the latest movie to take a look at the life of Marilyn Monroe. Based on the bestselling novel by Joyce Carol Oates, the Netflix movie reimagines Marilyn's life and explores the divisions between her private life and her public persona.
Like the novel, the movie— written and directed by Andrew Dominik (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford)— blurs the lines between fact and fiction and explores various stages in her life, and introduces us to some of the figures who had an impact on her journey.
Here's our breakdown of the stars who play a part in the Blonde cast.
Blonde cast — who's who
Ana de Armas as Norma Jeane/Marilyn Monroe
Ana de Armas leads the Blonde cast as Norma Jeane Mortenson, the woman who transforms herself into a megastar as Marilyn Monroe.
Where else have you seen Ana de Armas? de Armas is likely best known for playing Agent K's virtual companion, Joi in Blade Runner 2049 and for her leading role as Marta Cabrera in Rian Johnson's first Knives Out movie. More recently, she has featured in No Time To Die, Deep Water and The Gray Man.
Julianne Nicholson as Gladys
Julianne Nicholson plays Marilyn's mother, Gladys. The pair had a difficult relationship throughout Marilyn's life.
Where else have you seen Julianne Nicholson? Julianne Nicholson has appeared in a variety of shows over the years including Winning Time, Boardwalk Empire, Law and Order, The Outsider Mare of Easttown and Masters of Sex. She's also had movie roles in I, Tonya and Kinsey, and is due to appear in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story later this year.
Adrien Brody as The Playwright
Adrien Brody features as "The Playwright", who is a dramatized version of Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Arthur Miller, who married Marilyn in 1956.
Where else have you seen Adrien Brody? Brody is likely best known for his performance in The Pianist, which netted him Best Actor at the 2002 Academy Awards. He's also featured in a number of Wes Anderson movies including The French Dispatch and The Grand Budapest Hotel, and cropped up in everything from King Kong and Peaky Blinders to Midnight in Paris, Winning Time and Succession over the years.
Bobby Cannavale as The Ex-Athlete
Bobby Cannavale plays The Ex-Athlete, a fictionalized version of Joe DiMaggio. DiMaggio was a New York Yankee center fielder and Marilyn's second husband after her marriage to Miller came to an end.
Where else have you seen Bobby Cannavale? Bobby Cannavale has had major roles in a variety of projects over his 20-plus year career, including Nine Perfect Strangers, Homecoming, Mr. Robot, The Irishman, Vinyl, Boardwalk Empire, Blue Bloods and Cupid.
Evan Williams as Eddy Robinson Jr.
Evan Williams plays Eddy Robinson Jr., an American actor who was a friend of Marilyn's.
Where else have you seen Evan Williams? Evan had roles in Versailles, Awkward., Baxter, Degrassi: The Next Generation and Mysterious Circumstance: The Death of Meriwether Lewis.
Xavier Samuel as Cass Chaplin
Xavier Samuel plays Charlie Chaplin Jr., or "Cass", as he is known in the movie. In Blonde, Marilyn is said to have a relationship with Cass and Eddy at the same time, though this is not true to life.
Where else have you seen Xavier Samuel? Twilight fans will recognize Xavier from The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. He's also had roles in Fury, Elvis, Tell Me Your Secrets, Love & Friendship and Adore.
Who else stars in Blonde?
- Lily Fisher (General Hospital, Grey's Anatomy) as Young Norma Jeane
- Caspar Phillipson (Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Jackie) as The President (JFK)
- David Warshofsky (Ordinary Joe, Scandal) as Mr. Z
- Colleen Foy (Station 19, This Close) as Pat
- Tygh Runyan (Versailles, Thicker Than Water) as Norma's Father
- Toby Huss (Dickinson, GLOW) as Whitey
- Sara Paxton (Barbarian, Good Girls) as Miss Flynn
- Rebecca Wisocky (Ghosts, Dopesick) as Mrs. Moran
Blonde is now available to stream exclusively on Netflix.
