Before there was Marilyn Monroe there was Norma Jean Mortenson.
Norma had a drastic life before and after. As a child, she grew up in the foster care system since her mother couldn’t look after her.
But she made sure she was taken care of. She paid Grace and Doc Goddard to raise her. The couple were very religious and strict. Norma wasn’t allowed to go to the movies and had to follow orders. When Doc Goddard’s job transferred him back to the East Coast, they couldn’t take care of her anymore which put her back into the foster care system. These experiences forced her to grow up quickly. She dropped out of high school when she was 15 years old.
Her mother, Gladys Baker, had psychiatric problems and went to a mental institution. Norma never knew her biological father and thought Clark Gable was her father, but there wasn’t proof he knew Gladys.
She also had a half-sister, but they weren’t close and didn’t meet often.
Cut to 1946, Norma Jean becomes Marilyn Monroe, the Hollywood icon who ruled the screen in the 1950s and 60s.
She originally started out as a model and earned her first contract with Twentieth Century Fox. This led to her role in “Scudda-Hoo! Scudda-Hay” (1948) and played a role in “The Asphalt Jungle” (1950), and fans began to send fan mail. But her career was just getting started.
Her biggest movies are “How to Marry a Millionaire” (1953), “There’s No Business Like Show Business” (1954), “The Seven Year Itch” (1955), and “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” (1953).
The scene where Marilyn performs the musical number “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend” has been recreated over the decades by different celebrities such as Madonna, Camila Cabello, Ariana Grande, Blake Lively, and more.
This raises the question, why is Marilyn Monroe relevant today?
“I think it’s because she mattered so much to us because we’re finally learning the truth about her. And how she was both mistreated but how she also thrived at the same time. There was a lot more to her than people of her time-period gave her credit. She was a racial rights activist like there was this one story I remember where a Black performer was not allowed to sit in the club she was performing at. Marilyn Monroe fought to get her in there. So, I think she represents a story of being misunderstood because she was marginalized as a woman. And that really resonates with our generation. As we start to speak out against prejudices,” said Nathan Riley, Pioneer Pantry Manager and Civic Engagement Coordinator at William Paterson University.
Hollywood is known for being a very cut-throat business especially back when women and people of color didn’t have high positions like men did. So this was easy for them to overlook the talent and intelligence of aspiring actors and actresses.
“I think her legacy still continues because she was somebody that was very ambitious and was trying to come out of where she was coming from. She had that drive in her to make her want to pursue entertainment. And unfortunately, she ran into a lot of jealously and envy from people and wasn’t really getting the full help I think she needed and deserved to make it where she wanted to be. She was an icon, when I think of her, I think of femininity, classiness, and elegance,” said Magalene Brisset, Peer Career Leader for the Career Development Center at William Paterson University.
Marilyn questioned her capability as an actress and was exhausted from being typecast as the “dumb blonde”. She studied at the Actors studio in New York City, with Lee Strasberg.
She proved Hollywood she had serious acting chops after winning the Golden Globe for Best Actress Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for “Some Like it Hot” (1959), in 1960.
“I think she has a lot of relevance now just because of what she did go through and kind of showing that even somebody of her status still face a lot of exploitation. People like her were in the exact same position they just couldn’t come forward and this has always been an issue. I feel like people are only just starting to realize the level of exploitation she faced,” said Sara-Michelle Shannon, Student Government Association president at William Paterson University.
The legend has been portrayed by many actresses throughout the decades such as Misty Rowe, Paula Lane, Catherine Hicks, and Michelle Williams just to name a few. And most recently Ana de Armas played her in Netflix’s film “Blonde” (2022).
From their NC-17 rating, to the movie being based on Joyce Carol Oates’ novel, to casting Ana de Armas, who’s Cuban-Spanish to play her, the film sparked serious controversy. However, Ana de Arms received a 14-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival.
She did an interview with Variety about her preparation to play Marilyn Monroe.
“The voice was my biggest worry I would say just because it’s so iconic and so specific and English is not my first language. So, to begin with that was my biggest fear,” said Ana de Armas actress.
She also revealed she read the novel and watched movies, interviews, and videos of her on YouTube several hours a day.
“So, the reason why Marilyn Monroe was extremely relevant and why she was the symbolism in that particular era was because of her likeness, her image. The way she portrays in that community. The majority of men looked at her as a sex symbol and to really referenced that in the 30s, 40s, and 50s because she knew what she brought to the table. She knew that her image was to show everybody who she really was. But also, she was under a lot of pressure in that particular moment. And I think that’s where fame leads to pain and it hurts because at the end of the day as a famous person, you’re working extremely hard, you’re dedicated to this, you’re coming out, and showing the world how much gratitude and how much emphasis you put on Hollywood and they didn’t see that. What did they see? A sex symbol. And I think with fame it shows you how effective it is especially how dangerous it is for people to use you in a way that you want them to be because you have the audience. But it can’t be the case and that’s why I feel like mentally we really gotta check ourselves. That’s the way Hollywood lives, Hollywood will make you the way they make you. But you gotta show the world what you make in Hollywood. Manipulation and destruction are what fame gets you. But she’s been a very relevant person, who she was, how beautiful she was, and the moral to the story. Follow your dreams, no matter how good-looking you are, no matter how much you bring to the table, and no matter how much you really show the world who you are. Keep going keep thriving. Cause once you make it, do not let them get you, you work twice as hard, and that’s what she did,” said Marques Adams, Public Relations chair for Haitian American Student Association and Black Student Union at William Paterson University.
Even many decades later, Marilyn Monroe still continues to influence everyone today.