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Telegraph
5 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
The baffling rise of Tom Cruise's ‘girlfriend' Ana de Armas
When the film industry was conquered by an unholy combination of the streaming services and the superhero machine, Hollywood stopped making movie stars. Studio publicists have been reduced to desperately, and unconvincingly, hyping up little-known Gen-Z performers as the next Tom Cruise or Julia Roberts. But such naked attempts seem particularly bizarre in the case of Ana de Armas, a serviceable actress and erstwhile Bond girl whose mediocre career doesn't remotely warrant the surrounding hysteria. That won't change this week as her action movie Ballerina, a spin-off from the Keanu Reeves-led John Wick franchise, limps miserably onto screens. In his one-star review, the Telegraph's Tim Robey describes her trainee assassin character as 'lethally dull' and laments that de Armas 'simply isn't good enough to animate this sock puppet'. Far from a much-needed comeback for de Armas, whose star has dimmed just a little bit more with each lamentable misfire over the past few years, it confirms the long-held suspicion of many sceptical movie-goers that this 'next big thing' is nothing but a mirage. In fact, de Armas, 37, is currently most famous not for her work but for her rumoured 'romance' with Cruise, 62, which might be the most challenging acting role she's ever taken on. What a shame they don't hand out Oscars for that. The Spanish-Cuban de Armas, who was born in Havana in 1988, became a minor celebrity aged 19 when she was cast in El Internado, a Spanish teen mystery show set in a boarding school. She belatedly made the jump to Hollywood in 2014, arriving in LA speaking hardly any English. She had to learn her lines phonetically for her first big project: erotic thriller Knock Knock, starring Reeves. 'I wasn't really sure what I was saying,' she later explained. Unsurprisingly, early reviews weren't exactly rapturous. Nor did de Armas fare much better with her next Reeves-led thriller, 2016 flop Exposed, which earned just £199,000 at the box office, or with 2017 Fast and the Furious imitator Overdrive, in which she was mainly required to pout. Hollywood began to get excited – or, more accurately, overexcited – when de Armas popped in three high-profile franchise movies: sequel Blade Runner 2049 (2017), the first of the Daniel Craig-starring Knives Out detective romps (2019), and Craig's James Bond swansong No Time to Die (2021). However, these were all limited supporting turns, and in the case of the long-delayed and overly sentimental Bond outing, de Armas benefitted enormously from having a sparky, glamorous, pulse-racing scene that stood in stark contrast to the rest of the sombre film. Even so, the adulation that she received was totally unwarranted. Prognosticators conveniently overlooked the fact that she was regularly churning out duds too: yet more dreadful thrillers-with-no-thrills like The Informer, The Night Clerk and Netflix's woeful The Gray Man; plodding spy drama Wasp Network; and fusty biopic Sergio, in which de Armas attempted to portray an economic advisor for the UN. All clear warning signs, but in each case commentators blamed the poor material. Still, we were told, de Armas would wow us when she was given the chance to carry her own major film, and there was feverish awards conversation around her much-anticipated Marilyn Monroe biopic Blonde. Well, de Armas did deliver in that respect – albeit in as divisive a fashion as the film itself. She was nominated for an Academy Award in 2023, but Blonde also won Worst Picture at that year's Razzies. The latter organisation condemned it for exploring the exploitation of Monroe 'by continuing to exploit her posthumously'. The film has a 42 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, reflecting its marmite quality. While much of the opprobrium must go to director Andrew Dominik for his queasy choices – which include a talking foetus, a graphic rape scene, and a camera situated in Monroe's birth canal – many were unconvinced by de Armas's portrayal of the icon as a weepy, infantile victim with colossal daddy issues. Her choice (if it was a choice) to use her natural Cuban accent also raised eyebrows. But arguably her worst movie came in 2022, and it reflects her increasingly chaotic love life. Deep Water was a horribly schlocky, yet simultaneously deathly dull, adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's psychological novel of the same name, with de Armas and Ben Affleck playing an unhappily married couple whose jealous sparring turns murderous. What should have been a steamy thriller from Adrian Lyne, director of Fatal Attraction, instead became an unintentionally hilarious dud. Affleck was so lowkey he looked sedated, while de Armas wildly overcooked her vampy femme fatale. Disney, which acquired the film when it merged with Fox, was reportedly nervous about its erotic content and so delayed, then cancelled, its theatrical release, dumping it on streaming instead. God knows why: it's about as sexy as a tax audit. Hate-watching viewers (the only kind this movie had) fixated on Affleck's character's eccentric hobby of breeding snails. The other point of interest had nothing to do with their performances, but with their off-screen romance. This was in between Affleck's relationships with Jennifer Garner and Lopez. De Armas had previously been married to another actor, Spanish performer Marc Clotet (they divorced in 2013), and briefly engaged to Hollywood talent agent Franklin Latt in 2015. She and Affleck began dating after Deep Water, and quarantined together during the pandemic. De Armas confirmed the relationship in April 2020 by posting a series of loved-up pictures on Instagram. Affleck's kids were also seen playing on their LA lawn with a life-size cardboard cut-out of de Armas. Unfortunately, it later signalled the end of the relationship, in symbolism so heavy-handed you would snort if you saw it in a movie. In 2021 that same cut-out was spotted in the rubbish bin outside Affleck's home. De Armas then sparked a furious backlash with another paramour, in 2024: Manuel Anido Cuesta, stepson of Cuban dictator Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez – a man handpicked by Raul Castro (brother of Fidel) and appointed in a phony presidential election. It was a pretty mind-boggling choice given that de Armas's brother Javier Caso is an activist who has protested against the Cuban regime, and was interrogated by authorities in 2020. But perhaps even weirder is de Armas's current purported fling with Tom Cruise. The pair were 'caught' having a Valentine's dinner together in February 2025, and on de Armas's birthday in April they were seen taking a stroll through a London park. In May they appeared in Victoria Beckham's photos, shared on her social media, of David Beckham's 50 th birthday bash at Core restaurant in Notting Hill. That month Cruise also reportedly spent around £8,600 chartering his £1 million helicopter for de Armas to travel from central London to Heathrow Airport, and then for access to the airport's VIP Windsor Suite, ahead of her flight to New York. The pair have gushed about one another in interviews, albeit in professional terms, with Cruise calling her 'a very, very talented, great dramatic actress'. However, a cynic might well note that this apparent fairy tale romance comes in the midst of their respective press tours for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning and Ballerina. If it is a purely transactional relationship concocted and staged by zealous publicists, it's a savvy move on both counts: it buys de Armas valuable press attention, and a possible boost to her flagging career via her a close association with an A-lister, and it makes the eccentric, Scientology-devotee Cruise slightly more palatable to the public. The pair are reportedly working together on an upcoming underwater movie helmed by Mission: Impossible director Christopher McQuarrie. If that's the case, an attention-grabbing off-screen romance could well aid that film's chances. However, it's a deeply depressing sign of de Armas's hurtling descent from supposed Oscar-winner-in-waiting to apparently posing as the girlfriend of an actually successful, if somewhat eccentric, movie star in 'candid' photographs. De Armas recently moved away from LA to live 'off the grid' in a £5 million home in rural Vermont. But if she keeps making movies as dismal as assassin misfire Ballerina, she won't need to worry about escaping attention. Forget trained killers: no one is as ruthless as a Hollywood studio boss who spots a star on the wane.
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Fans can't believe how young Jane Seymour, 74, looks 50 years after Bond movie... see her now
Jane Seymour looked half her age when she attended an event in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening. The 74-year-old former Bond girl was at the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversations Presents Jane Seymour Career Retrospective event at The Meryl Streep Center for Performing Artists. The British actress - who is 5ft6in and a size 2 - wore her highlighted hair down with flirty bangs as she flashed a fresh Malibu tan. Her attire was easy-breezy as she wore a pale blue cotton summer dress that showed off her toned arms. Fans took to X to comment on her fresh look: 'This woman does not age,' and 'she is drinking from the fountain of youth!' This comes just after she told that she loves the Mediterranean diet because it is full of fresh vegetables. The Dancing With The Stars veteran - who has a stunning scarf line - stressed the importance of eating fresh foods. 'I love the Mediterranean way of eating, it works so well and it tastes good, it includes a lot of delicious food like tomatoes, olives and fish,' she noted. Another hack is she has only once big meal a day at around 1:30 pm. 'I start the day with coffee and hard boiled eggs for protein, and it isn't till later, around lunch time, that I have a full meal because then I can really enjoy it. 'I love fish and vegetables, and grow many greens in my back yard which I love to use.' Later in the day the Playboy model loves to snack on nuts like pistachios, cold veggies like cucumbers and celery, and hummus. 'I do love nuts,' she said. 'I am a savory person, I like the salt.' Turns out the reason is because the Dr Quinn Medicine Woman actress has been leading a very healthy lifestyle by the beach in Malibu for decades. 'Being healthy just feels good, it keeps me going, it gives me energy,' the England native told as she helped launch The Body Firm Youthful Essence Antioxidant Wellness-Beauty Blend. Her attire was easy-breezy as she wore a pale blue cotton summer dress that showed off her toned arms. This comes just after she told that she loves the Mediterranean diet because it is full of fresh vegetables And that means the Live And Let Die actress does not follow a strict diet and she stays away from drugs like Ozempic to stay thin. 'People ask me if I have a cheat day with my diet and I respond that I am never on a diet, I just make good choices and stick with them,' said the cover girl. 'If you think you are on a diet, you will lose track, you will cheat,' Jane told 'But if you find healthy foods you really love, that make you feel good, you never feel shorted.' She also stays active by lifting light weights and doing Pilates. 'You have to keep moving!' she added. The Body Firm Youthful Essence Antioxidant Wellness-Beauty Blend is a new product that Jane is promoting. 'Packed with extracts from 24 fruits and vegetables, this tasty antioxidant elixir helps close the nutritional gap and fight signs of skin aging with the brand's signature TruPhyto Complex,' the company shared. 'It improves skin moisturization, elasticity, and radiance for a more youthful-looking, glowing complexion.' Jane is also happy that she has Youthful Essence in her life because instead of taking 'a ton of supplements' she just used the powder which contains greens and collagen to make her skin glow. 'I take Youthful Essence in the morning and it makes me feel good. It is a one and done for me and I appreciate it because I don't have to hassle with getting all the ingredients together.' And she also uses Crepe Erase daily on her skin to make it glow. She told that 'exfoliating first then adding the cream' is vital. When asked about her love life - she is dating musician John Zambetti - Jane said she is thriving because she has an 'open heart.' 'You have to be open to receiving love and being happy,' she said. 'Being over 50 does not mean your life ends, it means you are on a new journey, you are finding new things to do. It can be very fun to start new hobbies, new relationships. 'It is really a time to thrive because a lot of the hard stuff is behind you.' She also said living a fulfilling life is all about trying new things. Not only is she on the TV show Harry Wild, but she paints, has a scarf line, and makes jewelry. The siren from England also walked her first runway during New York fashion Week which she said was 'a very new experience for me but tons of fun - I never thought I would model because I am not tall.' The Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman star used Crepe Erase Advanced Body Repair Treatment. The Advanced Body Repair Treatment is a fast-absorbing formula that features the TruFirm Complex and a mix of moisturizers to help boost skin's elasticity, targeting fine lines and wrinkles in the process. This formula takes care of crepe skin. This treatment is specially designed to give you more hydrated, youthful-looking skin. This cream features a special formula that includes peptides and a mix of moisturizers to help boost elasticity in your skin. 'Nobody thinks of the skin beneath their neck,' she said. 'They're so obsessed with getting rid of a wrinkle or a line on their face that they forget the dead giveaway to age is basically your neck, your décolletage, your arms … the dry skin on your shins and your feet.'
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Halle Berry Embraces a New Style Chapter as Cannes Juror: ‘Film by Day, Fashion by Night'
'Film by day, fashion by night.' A perfect summary of the Cannes Film Festival, especially coming from Halle Berry, who makes a long-awaited return to Cannes this year as a juror. The commitment is presenting an opportunity for a new fashion chapter for the Oscar winner, who teases that Cannes will show a different style direction. More from WWD At the Cannes Film Festival, Chanel Seeks More Than Red Carpet Credits How Persol Made Its Red Carpet Play in Cannes A View to a Thrill: Duran Duran and Bond Girl Fashions Headline AmfAR Gala Cannes Berry is part of this year's jury joining president Juliette Binoche and members Jeremy Strong, Payal Kapadia, Alba Rohrwacher, Leïla Slimani, Dieudo Hamadi, Hong Sangsoo and Carlos Reygadas. 'I'm going to see the most amazing films, and that's really what I'm most excited about this time. It's such an honor to have been asked to be on the jury, and it's something I take very seriously and I just can't wait to sit and watch,' Berry says from New York the day ahead of the Met Gala. 'There's always amazing filmmakers that get accepted into the festival, all kinds of film, and so I'm really excited about that. And the fashion! Film by day, fashion by night. Those are my two favorites.' For the long stretch of premieres and events, Berry will be working with a new stylist, Maryam Malakpour. They began working on looks the day Berry got the call to join the jury. 'It's a bit overwhelming because it is the biggest world stage, and so there is a sense of 'we have to get this right. We have to find things befitting of this moment and what this festival means to the world.' So it's something that we've taken really seriously, and I've had a lot of fun doing it and wanting to make sure, because it is Cannes, that it stays chic and elevated and elegant. That's what Cannes at least represents to me,' Berry says of her styling approach. 'We're very much going to keep it in that fashion forward and chic, elegant.' This includes a mix of some designers she's worn and loved for years, as well as brands new to her. Also new to the mix is Chopard, who, as an official partner of the festival, will be outfitting Berry in pieces throughout. 'There are certain pieces that I definitely know that I need to wear, and so we have to sort of fashion the clothing around wearing jewelry. Often I'm very minimalist and I don't wear a lot of jewelry, so that's also new for me,' Berry says. 'So it's about finding the balance, because this will be about wearing jewelry, all that glamour that Cannes is.' This has already been a year of major red carpet moments for Berry. In March she dazzled in a shimmering silver Dolce & Gabbana gown at the Oscars, and on May 5 she attended only her second Met Gala, in a look by LaQuan Smith. Now she is setting her sights on Cannes. 'Your style just kind of evolves. Your taste evolves, your body changes. So you acclimate to what is true for you at that moment, where you are emotionally, where you are physically. All of those things go into what you choose and what you're trying to express, which is why I'm saying this red carpet will probably be a different vibe for me than I've ever done before,' Berry says. 'And that's what I'm most excited about. I'm going in a different direction than I think I've gone before. You'll see there'll be some things that will be like, 'huh, I never saw her in anything like that before.' That's the fun part.' The festival is also a moment for Berry to step away from her usual wardrobe, set around being a working mom, and spend a little more time playing dress-up. 'I'm a mother, so it's juggling all of that. I can't say outside of glamorous moments do I spend a lot of time thinking about [style] just because of being a mom and having a million things to do and running around. I can't say that's my everyday,' Berry says. 'It's a lot of those kinds of clothes I run around in, and picking up kids, dropping off kids. I am a soccer mom, proudly. So I'm going to soccer games. My daughter's looking at colleges, so we're traipsing around on college tours right now. I love going to Cannes for two weeks. I get to do just me for a couple weeks and I haven't done that in a very long time.' Earlier this year, Berry embarked on her 'second act,' and launched her company 'Respin Health,' a community-based platform for women going through menopause. 'It's been really wonderful to realize that I have a community of women that have been dying to talk about this, that have so many questions, so few answers. I really have a sense that what we're building over [at Respin] is not only needed, but it's like a lifeline for some people,' Berry says. 'Some women are so alone, they're so afraid, they get so much misinformation. They don't know what to believe. I didn't know what was happening to me, and I was very afraid. And I thought, 'oh, the end is coming. This must be what happens to us.' But when I got educated and I talked to the right doctors and I got on the right therapies and I got on hormones, everything changed and I realized, 'no, this is actually the best time of my life.'' When she's not at work on Respin she is, of course, one of Hollywood's most in-demand stars. Next February her movie 'Crime 101' with Chris Hemsworth will be released; she's just sold two television shows, and she's soon to begin working on a film with Cameroonian director Ellie Foumbi. 'They're all stories and television shows that are uniquely different, but speak to where I am right now as a midlife woman,' Berry says. 'I could only play these parts having lived life, so I couldn't have done these parts a moment before right now, if I'm honest.' View Gallery Launch Gallery: A Look Back at Cannes Film Festival Best Dressed Red Carpet Stars Best of WWD Dapper Dan, Legendary Harlem Tailor, Style Icon and Modern Dandy Pioneer [PHOTOS] White House Correspondents' Dinner's Best Dressed Guests of All Time: Sofia Vergara, Demi Moore and More Met Gala 2025 Committee Member Tyla's Red Carpet Moments [PHOTOS]
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Halle Berry Embraces a New Style Chapter as Cannes Juror: ‘Film by Day, Fashion by Night'
'Film by day, fashion by night.' A perfect summary of the Cannes Film Festival, especially coming from Halle Berry, who makes a long-awaited return to Cannes this year as a juror. The commitment is presenting an opportunity for a new fashion chapter for the Oscar winner, who teases that Cannes will show a different style direction. More from WWD At the Cannes Film Festival, Chanel Seeks More Than Red Carpet Credits How Persol Made Its Red Carpet Play in Cannes A View to a Thrill: Duran Duran and Bond Girl Fashions Headline AmfAR Gala Cannes Berry is part of this year's jury joining president Juliette Binoche and members Jeremy Strong, Payal Kapadia, Alba Rohrwacher, Leïla Slimani, Dieudo Hamadi, Hong Sangsoo and Carlos Reygadas. 'I'm going to see the most amazing films, and that's really what I'm most excited about this time. It's such an honor to have been asked to be on the jury, and it's something I take very seriously and I just can't wait to sit and watch,' Berry says from New York the day ahead of the Met Gala. 'There's always amazing filmmakers that get accepted into the festival, all kinds of film, and so I'm really excited about that. And the fashion! Film by day, fashion by night. Those are my two favorites.' For the long stretch of premieres and events, Berry will be working with a new stylist, Maryam Malakpour. They began working on looks the day Berry got the call to join the jury. 'It's a bit overwhelming because it is the biggest world stage, and so there is a sense of 'we have to get this right. We have to find things befitting of this moment and what this festival means to the world.' So it's something that we've taken really seriously, and I've had a lot of fun doing it and wanting to make sure, because it is Cannes, that it stays chic and elevated and elegant. That's what Cannes at least represents to me,' Berry says of her styling approach. 'We're very much going to keep it in that fashion forward and chic, elegant.' This includes a mix of some designers she's worn and loved for years, as well as brands new to her. Also new to the mix is Chopard, who, as an official partner of the festival, will be outfitting Berry in pieces throughout. 'There are certain pieces that I definitely know that I need to wear, and so we have to sort of fashion the clothing around wearing jewelry. Often I'm very minimalist and I don't wear a lot of jewelry, so that's also new for me,' Berry says. 'So it's about finding the balance, because this will be about wearing jewelry, all that glamour that Cannes is.' This has already been a year of major red carpet moments for Berry. In March she dazzled in a shimmering silver Dolce & Gabbana gown at the Oscars, and on May 5 she attended only her second Met Gala, in a look by LaQuan Smith. Now she is setting her sights on Cannes. 'Your style just kind of evolves. Your taste evolves, your body changes. So you acclimate to what is true for you at that moment, where you are emotionally, where you are physically. All of those things go into what you choose and what you're trying to express, which is why I'm saying this red carpet will probably be a different vibe for me than I've ever done before,' Berry says. 'And that's what I'm most excited about. I'm going in a different direction than I think I've gone before. You'll see there'll be some things that will be like, 'huh, I never saw her in anything like that before.' That's the fun part.' The festival is also a moment for Berry to step away from her usual wardrobe, set around being a working mom, and spend a little more time playing dress-up. 'I'm a mother, so it's juggling all of that. I can't say outside of glamorous moments do I spend a lot of time thinking about [style] just because of being a mom and having a million things to do and running around. I can't say that's my everyday,' Berry says. 'It's a lot of those kinds of clothes I run around in, and picking up kids, dropping off kids. I am a soccer mom, proudly. So I'm going to soccer games. My daughter's looking at colleges, so we're traipsing around on college tours right now. I love going to Cannes for two weeks. I get to do just me for a couple weeks and I haven't done that in a very long time.' Earlier this year, Berry embarked on her 'second act,' and launched her company 'Respin Health,' a community-based platform for women going through menopause. 'It's been really wonderful to realize that I have a community of women that have been dying to talk about this, that have so many questions, so few answers. I really have a sense that what we're building over [at Respin] is not only needed, but it's like a lifeline for some people,' Berry says. 'Some women are so alone, they're so afraid, they get so much misinformation. They don't know what to believe. I didn't know what was happening to me, and I was very afraid. And I thought, 'oh, the end is coming. This must be what happens to us.' But when I got educated and I talked to the right doctors and I got on the right therapies and I got on hormones, everything changed and I realized, 'no, this is actually the best time of my life.'' When she's not at work on Respin she is, of course, one of Hollywood's most in-demand stars. Next February her movie 'Crime 101' with Chris Hemsworth will be released; she's just sold two television shows, and she's soon to begin working on a film with Cameroonian director Ellie Foumbi. 'They're all stories and television shows that are uniquely different, but speak to where I am right now as a midlife woman,' Berry says. 'I could only play these parts having lived life, so I couldn't have done these parts a moment before right now, if I'm honest.' View Gallery Launch Gallery: A Look Back at Cannes Film Festival Best Dressed Red Carpet Stars Best of WWD Dapper Dan, Legendary Harlem Tailor, Style Icon and Modern Dandy Pioneer [PHOTOS] White House Correspondents' Dinner's Best Dressed Guests of All Time: Sofia Vergara, Demi Moore and More Met Gala 2025 Committee Member Tyla's Red Carpet Moments [PHOTOS]
The Sun
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Tom Cruise casts new girlfriend Ana de Armas in mystery new film as pals say couple ‘have got real chemistry'
TOM Cruise has cast his new love interest Ana de Armas as the star of his next blockbuster film. Those close to the 62-year-old Top Gun actor said he was working on a new movie with the working title Pressure. 2 A source said: 'Tom and Ana have grown closer over the past couple of months and he has huge respect for her as an actress. 'He is developing a new film and he has approached Ana to be his leading lady. Ana is one of the best actresses in the business as far as Tom is concerned and he wants her by his side in the new movie. 'Tom has a lot on his plate at the moment, with his new Mission: Impossible film being released later this month and another film called Judy in the works. 'But this new project is really exciting for Tom and he wants Ana to be in it with him.' The Sun revealed earlier this month that Tom and Bond girl Ana's relationship was hotting up. They were first linked after being spotted eating together on Valentine's Day. Tom took her away for a weekend at Easter. We told how they flew back to London by helicopter for Ana's 37th birthday. They went public with their romance at David Beckham's 50th birthday party last week. A few days later they were seen walking together in a London park. Ana, who was in Bond film No Time To Die in 2021, is the first woman linked to Tom following his split from Russian socialite Elsina Khayrova last year. Sources said: 'He thinks Ana's the full package — stunning and smart. They've got real chemistry.'
