Adria Arjona’s Father Warned Her Not to Become an Actor —She Did It Anyway

Adria Arjona comes from an artistic family, but that doesn’t mean the actor’s path to Hollywood was a sure thing. The 33-year-old is the daughter of celebrated Guatemalan singer-songwriter Ricardo Arjona; her mother was Miss Puerto Rico. Arjona spent the first 12 years of her life in Mexico City before moving to the United States. But her dad discouraged her from going “anywhere near the arts,” she says. He understood “how hard it is, and the suffering of how many no’s you have to go through.” Still, Arjona pursued acting, first at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in New York City and later with early roles in series like True Detective. Betting on herself paid off: Following her role opposite Glen Powell in Richard Linklater’s 2023 box office success, Hit Man, she starred in her first true comedy, Splitsville, with Dakota Johnson, and just wrapped filming on Michael B. Jordan’s star-studded remake of The Thomas Crown Affair. Though her father would have preferred she go to law school, “of course I didn’t,” she says. “Here I am.”

Splitsville is a comedy. Do you get offered a lot of comedic parts?

I don’t. This film had the craziest opening of any movie: My husband and I are driving to a weekend getaway. He asks me a question, and I’m trying to evade him, so I kind of go down on him. That causes a car accident, and I end up divorcing him. All that happens in the first 10 minutes of the film. It was the gnarliest beginning of a script that I had ever read. My character is so the opposite of me, which scared me deeply. And that meant I had to do it.

There are many sex scenes in this film. In your last movie, Hit Man, you and Glen Powell also had many sex scenes.

By the time we shot Hit Man, Glen was like my brother and we were both like, “Okay, let’s do it.” And then everything went wrong. They put Dawn dishwashing soap in the bathtub, and when we came out, both our bodies were covered in a rash. They would call “Cut!” and we’d be like, “Get off me.” I think Glen got a nosebleed. I’m glad it looks the way it looks, but filming it was very funny.

Do you have a favorite tattoo?

Yes, it says “ESL.” English as a Second Language. Whenever I make up words, I just go, "I'm ESL." English Second Language, baby, all the way.

Do you believe in ghosts?

I have felt ghosts. I was filming in Albuquerque, and someone kept knocking on my door and my phone kept ringing. I called the front desk, and they’re like, “She’s not usually on that floor.” I said “Who?” And yes, it was a ghost who is famous in that hotel. Either that or it was a sales pitch for a ghost hotel!

Growing up, did you have imaginary friends?

Yes—I used to play teacher and I had students. I would grade them. I would dream things up.

What was your favorite look on the red carpet?

It was this Loewe dress. Really sculptural with a very low back. I have a recent scar on my back. I was working out, and a tree branch fell on me. My boyfriend was being a lumberjack, and he must have left one branch loose, and it hit me. But I’ve fallen in love with that scar. It gives me an edgier character. There’s something so beautiful about a woman’s back with a scar in the middle.

When was the first time you wore high heels?

My mom’s a beauty queen: She was Miss Puerto Rico. My dad couldn’t get funding for his first CD, so she said, “All right, I’ll run for Miss Puerto Rico.” She got all this money, and that’s how my dad made his first record.

My mother had all these beautiful heels, and I would wear them all the time. Actually, my dad would do my makeup. He was really good at it. And it’s so funny now, because I don’t like wearing that much makeup.

Style Director: Allia Alliata di Montereale. Codirector: Frank Lebon. Director of photography: André Chemetoff. Hair by Jawara for L’Oréal Professional at Art Partner; makeup by Lauren Parsons for Sisley Paris at Art Partner; manicure by Jolene Brodeur for Dazzle Dry at the Wall Group. Set design by David White at Streeters.