Ana de Armas Confesses La Chancleta Is Her Weapon of Choice

Despite her light skin, yellow-green eyes, and light brown hair, Ana de Armas has defied Hollywood’s stereotypes about Latinos. She has worked hard to perfect her English and fit into the Hollywood scene, making it easy to forget that she is a bona fide Latina. 

But her Cuban roots still shine through in public appearances, such as when she hosted Saturday Night Live (SNL) or during interviews for “Ghosted,” her Apple TV+ movie with Chris Evans.

On SNL, the audience saw the Cuban star perreando, and her Cubanness came out in full force during her interviews with Evans. She revealed that she eats “frijoles” all the time, speaks Spanish whenever possible, and misses her family and friends in Cuba dearly.

And while Ana de Armas hasn’t been home in a while, she seems to be as Cuban as she was when she left home. So much so that when in trouble, “La Chancleta” is her weapon of choice. She has even talked to Chris Evans about it. 

Ana de Armas’ story is one of hard work and fighting for dreams

De Armas was born in Santa Cruz del Norte, a small town located in the province of Havana, Cuba, in 1988. Her parents were educators, and she grew up in a modest home with her brother. Despite her parents’ humble professions, they valued education and encouraged Ana and her brother to pursue their dreams.

Growing up in Cuba, she developed a love for acting at a young age. She began taking theater classes when she was just 12 years old, and by the time she was 14, she had landed her first television role on the Cuban show “El deseo de ser piel roja.”

Her breakout role came in 2006 when she starred in the Spanish film “Una Rosa de Francia,” filmed in Cuba. Her performance in the film earned her critical acclaim, and she was awarded Best New Actress at the Málaga Film Festival.

Of course, she was whisked off to Spain, where at 18 years old, she landed the leading role at “El Internado,” a teen-thriller (Yes, there are some of those). She moved to the U.S. years later, and we all know what happened afterward: “Blade Runner,” “Mano de Piedra,” “Knives Out,” and “Marilyn.”

Although many Cuban artists who leave the island cannot return, Ana de Armas has strong ties with her country and travels back as often as possible.