Ana de Armas channeled 'inappropriate' paparazzi attention into playing Marilyn Monroe in Blonde

UPDATE: A rep for de Armas has clarified that the timeline implied in the original profile this article references is misleading, noting that the actress filmed Blonde before she and Affleck began dating. This post has been updated accordingly.

Intrusive paparazzi are not a girl's best friend.

Ana de Armas said intense attention she has received from paparazzi brought her closer to Marilyn Monroe, whom she portrays in the upcoming drama Blonde.

"I have never been someone that wants any attention that's not about my work," de Armas told Variety in a cover story published Wednesday. "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. 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," she continued. "It was one of the things that brought me closer to Marilyn. She loved what she did. She loved the profession, and she respected it very much. She just didn't receive that back."

Amy Sussman/Getty Images; Samir Hussein/WireImage Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas

A rep for de Armas has clarified to EW that the star was speaking of the intense paparazzi attention that stemmed from her time as a well-known actress working in Madrid. But the spotlight on her personal life only intensified during her well-documented relationship with Ben Affleck.