Ana De Armas has named the moment she knew she had “made it” in Hollywood.
The actor made her debut on Saturday Night Live during this weekend’s episode (15 April).
In her monologue, De Armas, 34, recalled some of her early experiences in Hollywood.
The Cuban-Spanish star moved to Los Angeles in her twenties, after having begun her acting career in Cuba and Spain.
The Blonde star also spoke about the two times that she felt she had truly “made it”.
De Armas said that the first occasion was when her name was used as an answer in the New York Times crossword puzzle.
She said, however, that the moment was superseded by her SNL debut.
“I feel very lucky to be here,” she said. “I remember the first time my name was in the New York Times crossword. Everyone texted me and they said, ‘You made it – and I thought I did.
“But then a couple months ago SNL called me and said, ‘Ana, we want you to host and I was so shocked and excited that all I could say was, ‘I beg your pardon!’”
Earlier in the monologue, De Armas gave a special shout out to her former co-star Robert DeNiro.
She starred opposite the actor in the sports biopic Hands of Stone in 2016. The movie was her first film in the US.
De Armas recalled the sweet story of how DeNiro paid a special visit to her father’s place of work in Cuba, stating that her dad was “hysterical” after seeing the A-list celebrity.
She also revealed that she learnt English by watching Friends, and that she was due to become an American citizen in three weeks’ time.
“This has been a magical year. Not only was I nominated for an Oscar, but in three weeks, I’m going to officially become an American citizen!” de Armas said. “I am proud to become a citizen because when I moved here, everyone was so welcoming.”
