Location: Brookyln, New York
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.‘
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