Why Ana de Armas Believes Social Media Ruined the “Concept of a Movie Star"

Ana de Armas is all for putting the mystery back into Hollywood.

While reflecting on the notion of fame throughout the decades, the Knives Out actress pointed the finger at social media for changing the way fans view celebrities. 

"I feel like the new generations don't have that concept of mystery surrounding fame, because of social media," Ana told Vanity Fair in an interview published on Feb. 15. "There is so much information out there and oversharing. The concept of a movie star is someone untouchable you only see onscreen. That mystery is gone."

She added, "For the most part, we've done that to ourselves—nobody's keeping anything from anyone, anymore."

And Ana knows a thing or two about Hollywood's golden era, as she depicted Marilyn Monroe in the Netflix film Blonde. Looking back at the career of the iconic bombshell, the 34-year-old said, "There was a lot there that I could relate to."

She continued, "If you put Marilyn Monroe 'the movie star' aside, she's just an actress trying to navigate life and this system, which is so hard to navigate for anybody."

Ana also confessed to deleting a majority of her social media apps. While her Instagram account remains as a way to promote her projects, Ana said, "I barely use it because I just feel like things are always wrong on social media."

"If it was up to me, I would delete Instagram right now, but I can't," she continued. "I understand that I'm not just an actress. I have other brands that I'm working with and I have other commitments.

As Ana explained, "It's tricky because you feel the pressure to share some personal insight, or something about your private life, to keep people interested in you. You have to find a balance somehow, which I find very difficult."

The star has been open about her struggles to maintain her privacy in the public eye. Last year, she called out the attention she had received from paparazzi during her relationship with ex Ben Affleck.

"I have never been someone that wants any attention that's not about my work," she told Variety in September. "So when the attention is not about my work, it is upsetting, and it feels disrespectful, and it feels inappropriate, and it feels dangerous and unsafe."

Ana noted, "But, especially in this country, I don't know how you can find protection. I don't know how you can stop that from happening, other than leaving."