Ana de Armas has been making waves in Hollywood, not just for her on-screen performances but for the company she keeps off-screen. The latest buzz? A pre-Valentine’s Day dinner with none other than Tom Cruise, setting rumor mills into overdrive.
But before anyone gets ahead of themselves, sources insist there was nothing romantic brewing, and it was just a strategic meeting between two major stars.
Cruise, at 62, has been single since his high-profile split from Katie Holmes in 2012, making any public outing with a younger A-list actress an instant headline. Yet, insiders claim the Mission Impossible star and de Armas were simply discussing potential collaborations rather than indulging in any candlelit flirtations.
Adding weight to the non-romantic angle, de Armas was seen with her actual boyfriend, Manuel Anido Cuesta, “just a few days later.”
Ana de Armas es fotografiada en Madrid junto al hijastro del dictador cubano Díaz-Canel, Manuel Anido Cuesta. pic.twitter.com/JVpWeBTHL0
The ‘Knives Out’ actress and her 27-year-old lawyer beau, whose stepfather happens to be Cuba’s president, were photographed sharing an affectionate moment in Spain on February 17, putting to rest any lingering doubts about her relationship status.
Ana de Armas: A Magnet For Hollywood’s Leading Men
While Ana’s dinner with Cruise made waves, it’s hardly surprising that she continues to captivate Hollywood’s biggest names.
Over the years, she has charmed a long list of A-listers, working alongside Daniel Craig, Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Keanu Reeves, and even Ben Affleck, with whom she briefly shared a real-life romance after starring together in 2020’s ‘Deep Water.’
— Ana de Armas Brasil | Fã-site (@anadearmasbr) March 12, 2020
One industry insider pointed out that Cruise’s interest in teaming up with de Armas isn’t exactly shocking. With a resume boasting some of Hollywood’s most bankable male leads, she’s become a magnet for powerhouse collaborations.
“Of course, Tom Cruise wants to do a movie with her, she’s successfully worked with almost every one of his rivals just over the last five or six years,” the insider told The Sun. “And Ana also has that personality quirk, similar to Tom’s exes Nicole Kidman and Penelope Cruz, where she doesn’t give a flying f— what people say about her or think about her.”
The source added: “Ana’s been on a rocket ship in the business over the last ten years, primarily due to her easygoing personality and her incredible ability to work with these middle-aged, A-list leading men who just become totally captivated by her. You can legitimately call her The Leading Man Whisperer because she connects so well with these men, and some of them are 20 years older than she is.”
Born in Cuba in 1988, de Armas had no early exposure to the glitz of Hollywood, with no internet, no phones, and certainly no blockbuster films playing in her neighborhood. But her natural talent paved the way, first in Spanish television and later in Hollywood, where she quickly gained attention after moving to the US in 2014.
Her ability to bring out unexpected layers in her co-stars has been praised by many, including Daniel Craig’ The insider dished, “Daniel Craig gives Ana a ton of credit for helping him find his comedic footing in Knives Out, and I’m sure Tom Cruise wants some of that mojo to rub off on him.”
For now, though, there’s no official word on a project between Ana de Armas and Tom Cruise, and whether their dinner meeting leads to a blockbuster pairing remains to be seen.
