Ana de Armas reflects on Keanu Reeves friendship and her unexpected path to action films

Ana de Armas discusses friendship with Keanu Reeves and unplanned move into action roles at the Red Sea festival

Ana de Armas spoke about her long friendship with Keanu Reeves and her unplanned move into action filmmaking during an “In Conversation” session at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia. The actor offered a detailed look at her career, from her early life in Cuba to her recent roles in major Hollywood productions.

De Armas said she first met Reeves more than a decade ago when she arrived in Los Angeles and was cast in Eli Roth’s Knock Knock. “When I first moved to L.A., we did Knock Knock together, and at that time I barely spoke English,” she said, adding that the experience was challenging but also the start of what she called a “beautiful friendship.”

She described Reeves as “incredibly kind and generous” and noted the significance of reuniting with him for Ballerina, the John Wick spinoff released this year. “It felt full circle,” she said.

Reflecting on her action career, De Armas said it developed by chance rather than intention. She explained that she “never thought” she would take on action roles, citing No Time to Die, The Gray Man, Ghosted and Ballerina as projects that required demanding physical preparation. “The training was brutal,” she said, describing months of work before and during filming.

She also revisited her early life, recalling a “very free and very social” childhood in Cuba and her determination to become an actor. After early screen roles in Havana, she moved to Madrid at 18 with limited savings. A role in a popular Spanish series made her widely known, though she said the resulting typecasting prompted her to leave for Los Angeles.

De Armas pointed to Blade Runner 2049 as a major turning point and discussed how Blonde shaped her approach to acting. She said she continues to seek challenging material and remains aware of the risk of being limited to one type of role.