Ana from Havana: Cuban-born actress de Armas making waves in Hollywood

Two years ago, Ana de Armas could barely speak English. Which turns out to be a hurdle when you’re trying to become a movie star in America. The 28-year-old Cuban remembers her first meetings with L.A. agents: “I was just nodding like, ‘I don’t know what you’re saying.’ Now I speak English,” she says, in English.

WATCH: Ana de Armas Gets Silly Behind the Scenes of her GQ Photo Shoot

Of course, since she’s mastered the language, she’s hardly been in the U.S.—de Armas spent the past few years globe-trotting. First, she saw Robert De Niro and Usher share a Panamanian dance floor during filming of this summer’s boxing flick "Hands of Stone"; then she hit Jordan with Jonah Hill and Miles Teller for the bro-y gunrunner comedy "War Dogs" (also out this summer). And now she’s in Budapest with hunks present and past (Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford) for the "Blade Runner" sequel.

WATCH: How Ana de Armas Spends a Havana Night

If you’re noticing a theme, yes, her films have largely been dude-dominated. But if the roles she’s playing are any indication, de Armas won’t be just another beautiful sidekick.

“They’re both the rock of their partner,” she says. “Not just the wives; they are understanding, and they forgive.”

And their motto?

“Don’t f**k with me.”