What do you and Marilyn have in common? Besides the uniquely natural hourglass shape and the practical need for a personal seamstress when it comes to finding clothes that fit it, I’ve been likened to her for the touch of sadness that fits into my smile. I relate to her ability to be lost in the feminine character she created for her survival, and the loneliness that her magnetism brought her. I relate to her impulsive passions, her charming intuition, and her ultimate struggle to be taken seriously. Marilyn and I would never get along in a room, but we are alike in our curse to fall in love with everyone and every thing, and thus, to be often broken-hearted. We, also, both love pasta and champagne.
Joe DiMaggio, Arthur Miller or JFK: She only really loved Joe. I’ve found myself with the Arthur Millers. “Write me a new part that will make things better…” But I’ll only really love my Joe.
What has Marilyn taught you?To accept my vulnerability, my femininity, but to never mistake approval for love. She was always surrounded by confirmation of the superficial and that’s why she couldn’t trust a soul. No one wanted her to be, or cared if she did become the actress or the mother she could have been. Marilyn’s story teaches me to be the dumbest girl in the room, so I keep growing. She has also taught me that it is important to spill over in curves and in laughter as often as possible.
‘To me, Marilyn is… beauty’s martyr, as an icon. Otherwise, Norma Jean; a girl committing to the character her parental public affirms, before and beyond the footlights, before and beyond her own good.‘
Favorite Marilyn film:Some Like It Hot. It was filmed in San Diego and it features some of Marilyn’s best comedic acting.
What do you and Marilyn have in common? I believe what Marilyn and I have in common is that we both just LOVE being a woman. I embrace all of my sensuality. I, like marilyn, have also overcome a lot of challenges and road blocks in my life to get where i am today. Not to mention our mutual love for shoes!
Joe DiMaggio, Arthur Miller or JFK: I believe that Joe DiMaggio was the real love of Marilyn’s life. If it weren’t for his jealous nature and her inability to have children they could have lived a long happy life together.
What has Marilyn taught you? Marilyn has taught me that you can get through a lot of sticky situations with a wink and a smile.
‘To me, Marilyn is… the epitome of what it is to be a woman. Sexy, sensual, beautiful and full of love. All she wanted was to love and be loved.‘
Favorite Marilyn film: I have to say “Some Like it Hot” stands out as the one I turn people on to most frequently. But I have a soft spot in my heart for her big Classics “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” and “Seven Year Itch”, too! Each film means something else to me. I feel intrigued by “Don’t Bother to Knock” because it is such a different character for her, as is “Niagara”. I feel bittersweet toward “The Misfits”. I think “How to Marry a Millionaire” was adorable, “Asphalt Jungle” was a strong debut for her. She was an actor of amazing range.
What do you and Marilyn have in common? We both march to the beat of our own drummer! We are both often underestimated because we are sweet. People tend to think that means “pushover” or “naive”. We sometimes feel vulnerable and mistrustful of people, but we like to give them the benefit of the doubt first. If they take advantage of that, we never trust them again. Obviously she embodied the archetype of Aphrodite in most of her movies as I do in my performances on stage, but I also see us both as Persephone in our personal lives: Youthful spirits, trusting, wanting to be cared for and protected, vulnerable, complicated relationship with our mothers. We love to play and have fun, are curious, free spirits, pure at heart, gentle, sensitive to life and it’s dangers/injustices and compassionate. We are both silly and not afraid to make fun of ourselves. To make people laugh is a gift, and it makes us happy when we can do that. We both think that sometimes people take themselves too seriously! Clothes are fun (best when curve hugging), but being naked is divine! We both have eclectic tastes in men, but they have to be strong and make us feel safe. I don’t like being with a man who can’t protect me if he has to. Not that I am weak. Quite the opposite! But a man should have a way about him that says, “she’s with me. I won’t let anything happen to her.” That may be our Achilles heel (wanting to feel safe and protected), but it’s one of the things I feel I have in common with her. I could go on, but I don’t know how much space I can take for this. I’m just going to write a book!
Joe DiMaggio, Arthur Miller or JFK: Joe of course. He’s the one who endured in the long haul. He was her friend in the end and they spent time together before she died, even talking of remarriage. He took care of her funeral arrangements and sent roses to her grave for 20 years. The other two used her then abandoned her when they lost interest. Joe may have been jealous of some of the attention she received but he never stopped loving her.
What has Marilyn taught you? Marilyn taught me to revel in the feminine! Amp it up! Turn it on! Shine all my lights! Don’t be ashamed to turn heads! She taught me that I can be strong too, in fact I must be strong because most of the time you have to be the one to rescue yourself. She taught me to find the surprises inside myself and bring them out anytime I want to…don’t worry what people think or say about it. You can’t please everyone. She taught me to be beautiful from the inside out, because that is the only kind of beauty that shines through under any circumstances. It’s the only kind of beauty that never gets old.
‘To me, Marilyn is… all women who have ever had to climb from disadvantage and obscurity to be someone special.’ She started out from nothing, being no different than the rest of us…maybe even a bit worse off than most of us. She knew she was one of millions of girls who wanted to be movie stars. But to paraphrase her own words, “I simply wished for it harder than everyone else”. Marilyn overcame the odds. She left her legacy and her iconic images for us to imagine who she would be today. She continues to inspire us…in turn, we keep her memory alive.‘
Favorite Marilyn film:Some Like It Hot for three reasons: It is a classic and the song “I Wanna Be Loved By You” is my favorite song of Marilyn and in my opinion, a perfect representation of Marilyn’s mind frame! She wanted to be loved by everyone
What do you and Marilyn have in common? We enjoy life, love being a woman and would sacrifice a lot in the name of romance!
Joe DiMaggio, Arthur Miller or JFK: Looking back on her fabulous life, it doesn’t seem that she was ever happy while married. With JFK, I imagine it would have been different. He was one of the most powerful men in the world that she surely was attracted to but their liaison was never proven.This affair may have given Marilyn her first ever glimpse of a real relationship away from the spot light and a taste of the forbidden fruit…
What has Marilyn taught you? She has taught me to embrace my curves, to not be afraid of smiling too much, or being a woman. These days it seems like we have all lost our identity… confidence is so hard to master, and watching this amazing woman embrace who she is and give out such a positive energy is truly a thing to admire!
‘To me, Marilyn is… the symbol of a woman’s sexuality, sensuality and yet vulnerability, all in one.‘
Favorite Marilyn film: Bus Stop. I love watching her range of acting abilities. I don’t think she gets enough credit as an actress!
What do you and Marilyn have in common? We both are very passionate about what we love. Whether it is acting, our relationships, what we want out of life. We both are go getters.
Joe DiMaggio, Arthur Miller or JFK: Joe DiMaggio. Although they didn’t work out I believe he was the only guy in her life that actually loved her and cared about her. He cared for her so deeply and I believe she cared deeply for him.
What has Marilyn taught you?Not to be afraid of what others may think about me and to allows chase after my dreams.
‘To me, Marilyn is…untouchable. She is one of a kind!‘
The Basics: Her birthday was one month before mine, and her death was one day after my brother’s birthday. We were both born in Los Angeles, CA. We both started modeling at an early age, and were instantly drawn to the camera lense. We both suffer[ed] from dysmenorrhea. We both grew into adolescence with white-blonde hair. Neither of us are mothers. Both of us have eyes that seem to change colors. Champagne is my favorite alcoholic beverage; it was hers as well. Inner Similarities: We both place[d] great importance on the quality and learning of our acting skills. We both have [had] intentions to begin our own production companies. The respect of peers is of great importance, as well, but not as important as our own view of ourselves and our talents (if she only knew how greatly she is loved now). We both have [had] a noticeably quick wit. We have both been our biggest critics, at times judging ourselves to a point of depression and isolation. Conversely, we both bring joy into those around us, especially children. We both enjoy[ed] the beach, ocean, pools, wherever there is water to splash in. She and I both have [had] a great affinity for soft fabrics, like silk and fleece. We both love raw carrots. Marilyn enjoyed reading and learning as much as I do, and kept many books around her in her homes (same here!). She loved to laugh, and attended the Dean Martin Roasts and Rat Pack shows often; I am a comedian, and I became one after spending most of my spare time at comedy shows and clubs. We both love[d] to tell stories.
Joe DiMaggio, Arthur Miller or JFK: I wish she could have lived so she and Joe could re-marry (they were planning to!) and actually enjoy their marriage! He really loved her moreso, I believe, than any of her other husbands or lovers. JFK was notorious to those who were closer to him for sleeping around with the day’s most famous sex symbols – Marilyn was just one of them, and she seemed to be the only one who let herself believe it was more than just that.
While Joe was jealous and over-protective, he was still coming from a place of love; Arthur Miller was very open about cheating on Marilyn, and she was torn up inside watching him stare at other women right in front of her. He seemed to me to feel more pity toward her than love. He also influenced her to smoke cigarettes… I do not feel that he was a positive force in her life. Joe is the ONLY one who was always there when she truly needed someone – well, with the exception of that awful night. He was the only person who came to her aid to remove her from a psychiatric hospital when she was wrongly committed by her psychiatrist in New York. Joe is also the only of all of her lovers or husbands to attend her funeral. He kept his promise to her and sent flowers to her grave every week until he died on March 8, 1999.
Joe proved his love to Marilyn through his lifetime of devotion to her. He is by far the closest to a True Love that she ever had.
What has Marilyn taught you? She has taught me to embrace love and life while I can, and that it can all be wiped away at any moment. She has taught me to stand up for myself, like she did when she became one of the first women in Hollywood to negotiate her own contracts with the major studios. Marilyn taught me to help those I can, the way she helped Ella Fitzgerald become the legend she is today. She taught me that women ARE powerful creatures, and that we can exercise our power in a delicate and subtle way – we don’t have to be loud and forceful to be persuasive! She taught me to dress with class and individuality. She taught me by example not to lose myself in a character or role, but to remain true to who I am. She taught me to ask questions of experts, authorities and artists – but she also taught me when enough was enough, and to stop asking. She taught me to appreciate my true friends, and to reach out to them even when I feel that I can’t.
‘To me, Marilyn is… a human being who left us with her memory, her story, for us to learn what we can, for us to strive within our own lives for our own passions and dreams… She is a legendary beacon to all those who wish for others, so that we may follow in her footsteps and assist our fellow men and women, that we might accept our own equality with every race and creed and learn to help one another and not fight constantly… She inspires us to laugh, to feel glamorous, to love and be loved… She teaches us to appreciate the little things, even if it’s just the brush of silk against our skin, or the warmth of someone’s hand on yours… Marilyn is a constant reminder in every household to strive to be the best you can at what you dream of doing. Marilyn simply IS LOVE – love of yourself, love of others, love of life. Tell someone they are beautiful – because truly, they are.‘
In 1955, a then 15 year-old Peter Mangone skipped out of class and took his brother’s movie camera to the Gladstone Hotel in NYC, hoping to get a glimpse of the gorgeous Marilyn Monroe. Staying at the hotel following her divorce from Joe DiMaggio, Marilyn gave Peter exactly what he was looking for, and without either of them knowing it, more than could ever be imagined. As she left the hotel, she spotted Mangone and gestured for him to follow her, and what was created is now the feature of an exhibition in New York City at the Danziger Gallery. For 5 1/2 minutes, Mangone followed and filmed Ms. Monroe, capturing the natural charm and beauty of a woman who had the entire world captivated. The exhibition, which opened on January 10th and runs until February 9th, 2013, celebrates Marilyn and her very lucky companion, Mr. Mangone, who passed away last month.
Visit the exhibition at the Danziger Gallery (more information here). If you’re not in the NYC area, you don’t have to miss out! The gallery has published a beautiful book of still images from the film which can be purchased here.
