The actress opens up about tackling open relationships on screen, finding her stride in Hollywood, and the support she received from Jason Momoa at Cannes
Adria Arjona isn’t afraid of bold choices — both on screen and off. The Puerto Rican actress, 33, steps into uncharted territory with her latest film Splitsville, which she describes as “an unromantic comedy.” The movie, written by Kyle Marvin and Michael Angelo Covino, opens with a jolt: Arjona’s character Ashley confesses to her husband Carey (Marvin) that she has cheated and wants a divorce. From there, the story follows two couples — Arjona and Marvin, alongside Dakota Johnson and Covino — as they navigate the messy, often hilarious realities of non-monogamy.
“It’s one of the funniest scripts I’ve ever read,” Arjona tells PEOPLE. “The first 15 pages of the script and the opening of this movie is one of the wildest things I’ve ever read or performed.”
For Arjona, playing Ashley offered a chance to dive into a character far removed from her own life. “The idea of open relationships always sparks a lot of questions. If I have a friend that’s in an open relationship, I have so many questions because it’s so foreign to me,” she admits. “I just found it interesting and cool to be a part of a movie that gets to dabble in those questions.”
Playing With Empathy
Ashley, bold and unpredictable, makes choices that might seem difficult to rationalize. But Arjona approached her with empathy. “She’s in a relationship, goes through a near-death experience, and she questions the future of her life. We’ve all been in moments when we have no idea what we want,” she says.
Arjona even pitched subtle shifts in Ashley’s personality to reflect how people adapt when dating. “We’re so desperate for love that we’ll try so hard to put our first foot forward and mimic the person we’re dating,” she explains. “I really wanted her to change a little depending on who she was with, and that turned into a whole montage.”
On Working With Dakota Johnson
Although Arjona didn’t share many scenes with Dakota Johnson, she praises the collaborative atmosphere on set. “You have two really beautiful and sensible males [Marvin and Covino] leading this movie, and so much so that they gave the women all the power. They were really protective of our characters and gave us ownership over them. It’s rare, and I’m really thankful to them for that.”
A Cannes Debut With Jason Momoa By Her Side
Splitsville had its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, an unusual stage for a comedy. For Arjona, the experience was equal parts thrilling and nerve-racking. “I was so nervous. It’s such a big carpet,” she recalls. “To have my partner [Jason Momoa] there with me just made all my nerves sort of go away. It was so cool that we got to celebrate it together.”
The couple, who went public with their romance in 2024, drew attention on the red carpet but kept the spotlight on the film. “We worked really hard on this movie. It’s a tiny little film, so to be there at that stage meant so much to us.”
A Career on the Rise
Splitsville is the latest in a string of acclaimed projects for Arjona, who starred opposite Glen Powell in Hit Man (2024), appeared in Zoë Kravitz’s directorial debut Blink Twice, and recently wrapped season two of the Emmy-nominated Star Wars series Andor.
“Oh, absolutely, this feels like such a gratifying time,” she says. “A lot of the stuff that I’ve dreamt up or worked really hard for is paying off. And thanks to all these directors taking a chance on me. Tony Gilroy [creator of Andor] saw something before even I did. To have that show dominate the Emmys and to be where I am now feels really special.”
With Splitsville, Arjona once again proves she’s willing to challenge convention — and to do it with humor, empathy, and heart.
