Marilyn Monroe’s Last Interview
She was named by Playboy as the “Sexiest Woman of the 20th Century” and her essence still lingers today, as does the interest in her last interview for Life Magazine, published August 3, 1962.
Monroe was signed by 20th Century Fox in 1947 as a “starlet” who would potentially replace the “ageing” Betty Grable. Some of her most remembered film performances were her roles in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, How to Marry a Millionaire, The Seven Year Itch, and Some Like it Hot. Here is a more in-depth look at Marilyn's life story. The Last Interview Life Magazine Associate Editor Richard Meryman led what was to be Marilyn Monroe’s last interview before her tragic death. Conducted in her Brentwood, California home, the dialogue focused on both the rewards and burdens that fame had brought to her life, the goals that fed her determination to succeed, and the experiences of her childhood while growing up in foster homes. The interview also revealed an intriguing part of Marilyn that astounded many people and left them wanting to learn more about her; unfortunately, they would never get the chance. Marilyn, We Hardly Knew You Many assumed that Marilyn craved the attention, but she blatantly confessed to Meryman the extent of her fears and insecurities, which were significant for someone in the spotlight. She stated, “I’m trying to prove to myself that I’m a person. Then maybe I’ll convince myself that I’m an actress.” According to Meryman, she “looked great but was clearly troubled.” Marilyn Monroe’s last interview left her fans with the impression that she was a complicated person with a somewhat child-like view of the world. Since Marilyn had been brought into 20th Century Fox to replace another actress, she had concluded from that situation that the studios thought of actors as “machines” and that she could also be easily replaced. “Fame has a special burden.” This newly found fame introduced many problems in her life. “An actor is not a machine, no matter how much they want… everyone is always tugging at you. They’d all like sort of a chunk of you,” added Monroe with regard to what people expected from her (perhaps more than was possible from one person). Her reaction to fame was clearly defined in this comment: “It's nice to be included in people's fantasies but you also like to be accepted for your own sake. I don't look at myself as a commodity, but I'm sure a lot of people have.” Marilyn believed that people judged actors by what they read about them in tabloids, or by watching them in one of their movies, but according to her, some things should be kept personal and private. In fact, Monroe refused to let Life Magazine take any pictures of her home saying, “I don’t want everybody to see exactly where I live, what my sofa or my fireplace looks like. Do you know the book Everyman? Well, I want to stay just in the fantasy of everyone.” While she was surrounded by people all the time, there were a certain few who were closer than the rest, and she remarked that those friends would “accept you the way you are.” Farewell Marilyn Marilyn Monroe’s last interview appeared in Life Magazine on August 3, 1962, two days before the actress died at the young age of 36. We should keep in mind this particularly memorable line from Marilyn: “…you can read about yourself but what’s important is how you feel about yourself.”
Written by Barry Cooper |
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