In Marilyn Monroe's last interview, she shared her take on fame, family, and the 'sex symbol' label she received.
Marilyn Monroe, a name that needs no introduction, was a revolution. A superb model, who was often typecast as a ‘bimbo’ by Hollywood moguls and critics, was a self-educated, shrewd businesswoman. She crafted herself as a ‘dumb blonde’ and became the first female star to start her own film production company, Marilyn Monroe Productions (MMP).
She was a self-made woman who had a traumatic childhood and spent her time in foster homes. Born as Norma Jeane Mortenson, Marilyn’s mother had paranoid schizophrenia, because of which she was raised in foster homes. Not just a lonely childhood, Marilyn also overcame a stutter and dyslexia. Though her death is still a mystery to many, the actress bared her heart out in her last interview.
Marilyn Monroe gave her last interview to Life magazine editor, Richard Meryman, which got published for the first time in the upcoming book, Marilyn: The Lost Photographs, The Last Interview. In her final interview, excerpts of which are available on People’s website, the actress spoke about her status as a ‘sex symbol’ and said that sexuality is attractive if it is natural and not forced upon. According to Marilyn, she never acted from a sexual viewpoint. Speaking of the same, she said:
“First of all, I’ve never had an erotic scene. I’ve always wanted to test it out and see if I could do it. We are all born sexual creatures, thank god. It’s a pity so many people despise and crush this natural gift. Because art, real art, comes from it.”
Marilyn’s life had been very tragic since the beginning. Though she was the quintessential diva of Hollywood, she came from a humble origin. Daughter of a single mother who worked as a film negative cutter. After her mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia and committed to a psychiatric hospital, Marilyn went to foster homes.
In the interview, Marilyn confessed that she wanted to be an actress when she was five and some of her foster parents sent her to movies to get her out of the house. She would sit on a film set all day and night, all alone. But she loved it. She loved the idea of being in front of the camera while the entire world looked at her.
In the same interview, Marilyn spoke about fame and how it has its own merits and demerits. After she had a gallbladder operation in 1961, she came out of the hospital in New York, and the crowd went crazy. To get a glimpse of her, the crowd went berserk and started pushing each other, and her side opened up.
The actress went on to narrate her experience with fame when she visited Korea in 1954. Marilyn saw 75,000 men sitting in their parkas in the snow. When she came out, all of them started whistling and calling out her name for 10 minutes straight. That was the moment when Marilyn realised the power of fame. Marilyn also shared how she was called to places to bring glamour. Revealing why she never liked the Hollywood social life, she shared:
“I’ve been invited places to sort of kind of brighten up a dinner table. You’re not really invited for yourself sometimes. That’s why I don’t really get involved in the so-called Hollywood life, you know? It doesn’t interest me. People, I like. The public scares me, mobs scare me.”
Marilyn Monroe’s childhood ended when she got married to factory worker, James Dougherty at 16. She not only catered to her husband, but also looked after her stepchildren. Marilyn never took happiness for granted as she valued it more than anyone else. Most importantly, because it was missing from her life.
Marilyn, in her last interview, confessed that all she ever wanted in the world was to settle down and be a happily married woman with kids. Marilyn’s bond with her stepchildren was amazing. They were some of her best friends. She always wanted her kids to feel that they knew her despite the gossip written about her. Recalling an incident with her stepson, Bobby, Marilyn revealed:
“One time, my stepson, Bobby, had some magazine kind of hidden. It was one of these awful articles all about me. I just said, 'Bobby, anything you want to know about me, come and ask me. But don't get it second hand from these kind of things.”
Marilyn Monroe died on August 4, 1962, under mysterious circumstances. It was Marilyn’s house help, Eunice Murray, who sensed something wrong on the morning of August 5, 1962. As Murray knocked on the door, she received no response from the actress and discovered that it was locked from the inside. Murray then dialled Marilyn’s psychiatrist, Ralph Greenson, and broke into the room through the window. He found Marilyn nude on the bed, only covered by a sheet. Her face was down with a telephone in one hand. Marilyn’s physician, Hyman Engelberg, arrived at the actress’s house and pronounced her dead at the age of 36. Later, a toxicology report suggested that Marilyn died from acute barbiturate and chloral hydrate poisoning.
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