“Blonde” is now streaming on Netflix after first premiering at the 2022 Venice Film Festival, and initial reviews have praised Ana De Armas’ performance as Norma Jeane Baker, known more broadly to the world as Marilyn Monroe.
“Blonde” is based on the historical fiction book of the same title by Joyce Carol Oates, and it follows her beginnings of fame from her childhood and abrupt placement in an orphanage after her mother is sent to a mental hospital. Her career in Holywood leads to involvement with Charlie Chaplin Jr. (Xavier Samuel) and Edward G. Robinson Jr. (Evan Williams) before marrying retired baseball player Joe DiMaggio (Bobby Cannavale) and then “The Crucible” playwright Arthur Miller (Adrien Brody).
For a full rundown of who plays who, check out our complete “Blonde” cast and character guide below.
Norma Jeane Baker aka Marilyn Monroe (Ana De Armas)
Ana De Armas shines as Norma Jeane Baker, who becomes the persona crafter for her: Marilyn Monroe. Monroe made a big name and career for herself in the movies and by running in Hollywood circles, but the film’s focus is on how her dysfunctional childhood left her traumatized for the rest of her life.
De Armas is known for her roles as Joi in “Blade Runner 2049” (2017), Marta Cabrera in “Knives Out” (2019), Paloma in “No Time to Die” (2021), Melinda in “Deep Water” (2022) and Dani Miranda in “The Gray Man” (2022).
Gladys Baker (Julianne Nicholson)
Julianne Nicholson portrays Norma Jeane Baker’s mother Gladys, who cared for Norma without her father present. Gladys was tortured with trauma from Norma Jeane’s father, revealed through DNA test in 2022 to be Charles Stanley Gifford. Gladys gets committed to a mental institution after she harms Norma Jeane in multiple ways. Julianne Nicholson is known for her roles as Alice Martin in “Kinsey” (2004), Ivy Weston in “August: Osage County” (2013), Marianne Connolly in “Black Mass” (2015) Diane Raylinson in “I, Tonya” (2017) and Lori Ross in the HBO TV show “Mare of Easttown,” for which she won the 2021 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. Nicholson has also more recently appeared in HBO’s “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” as Cranny McKinney and plays Mary Yankovic in “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.”
Charlie Chaplin Jr. aka Cass (Xavier Samuel)
Xavier Samuel portrays Charlie Chaplin Jr., or “Cass” as he goes by in the film. Cass and Eddy get involved in a threesome relationship with Marilyn Monroe. In real life, Monroe did have a relationship with Chaplin Jr., but not at the same time as Eddy.
Samuel has played roles like Riley in “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” (2010), Ian in “Adore” (2013) with Robin Wright and Naomi Watts, Lieutenant Parker in “Fury” (2014) and Reginald DeCourcy in “Love & Friendship” (2016). He has also recently portrayed Scotty Moore in “Elvis” (2022).
Edward G. Robinson Jr. (Evan Williams)
Evan Williams portrays Edward G. Robinson Jr., who in the film is in a relationship with Marilyn Monroe alongside Charlie Chaplin Jr. Eddy, as he is called in the film, prompts his triangle to take a vow to protect each other and always love each other as they did in the beginning. Evan Williams has starred as Meriwether Lewis in “Mysterious Circumstance: The Death of Meriwether Lewis” (2022) as well as Lloyd in “Lloyd the Conqueror” (2011). He has also appeared in TV shos like “Versailles” and “Awkward.”
Joe DiMaggio aka The Ex-Athlete (Bobby Cannavale)
Joe DiMaggio, pro baseball player, was Marilyn Monroe’s second husband from 1954 to 1955 after she first married her next-door neighbor Jim Dougherty from 1942 to 1946. DiMaggio played center field for the New York Yankees for 13 years. Bobby Cannavale is known for roles like Joe Oramas in “The Station Agent” (2003), Jake Fernandez in “Parker” (2013), Chili in “Blue Jasmine” (2013) and Paxton in Marvel’s “Ant-Man” (2015) and “Ant-Man and the Wasp” (2018). Cannavale also portrayed Skinny Razor in “The Irishman” (2019), and he has lent his voice to many TV shows like “BoJack Horseman,” “Big Mouth” and more recently, “Human Resources.” He has also voiced Mr. Crystal in “Sing 2” (2021) and Spike in “Tom & Jerry” (2021). He starred as Tony Hogburn in the ensemble cast of “Nine Perfect Strangers,” adapted from Liane Moriarty’s bestselling novel for Hulu.
Arthur Miller aka The Playwright (Adrien Brody)
Arthur Miller, a playwright most well-known for “The Crucible” and “Death of a Salesman,” was married to Norma Jeane from 1956 to 1961. Monroe was encouraged not to associate with Miller because of his Communist sympathies, but they got together despite that, and “The Misfits” was a film written by Miller and starring Monroe that also worked as an attempt to save their marriage, but they ended up splitting. Adrien Brody is most well known for winning a Best Actor Oscar for playing Wladyslaw Szpilman in “The Pianist” (2002), and also playing Salvador Dalí in “Midnight in Paris” (2011), Henry Barthes in “Detachment” (2011) and Dmitri in Wes Anderson’s “The Grand Budapest Hotel” (2014). He appeared as Luca Changretta in “Peaky Blinders” Season 4, Julian Cadazip in “The French Dispatch” (2021), Josh Aaronson in “Succession” Season 3 and Pat Riley in “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.”
John F. Kennedy aka The President (Caspar Phillipson)
Caspar Phillipson portrays President John F. Kennedy, with whom Marilyn Monroe had a very memorable encounter. Phillipson played Dansk Iäkare in 2013’s “The Bridge,” and he also portrayed John Fitzgerald Kennedy in “Jackie” (2016) the biopic about JFK’s wife Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis alongside Natalie Portman. In 2017, Phillipson once more portrayed the assassinated president in the short, “The Speech JFK Never Gave.” He also appeared as The European in “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” (2018).
Miss Flynn (Sara Paxton)
Miss Flynn is the neighbor wife who takes Norma Jeane in after Gladys almost drowns her in a hot bath. She and her husband look after Norma Jeane for a while, but then they deliver her to an orphanage after her mother is deemed to sick to take care of her. Sara Paxton is most well-known for her starring role of Aquamarine in the 2006 film of the same name alongside Emma Roberts and Jojo. One of her earlies appearances was in 1997’s “Liar Liar,” and she took on the role of grown-up Marnie Piper aka Splendora Agatha Cromwell in Disney’s “Return to Halloweentown” (2005). Her role as Mari in 2009’s “The Last House on the Left” continues to haunt audiences to this day. She also appeared in “Barbarian” (2022).
