THE MAGIC OF MARILYN

It’s been 60 years since she died but the world is still fascinated by the iconic Hollywood star

- DENNIS CAVERNELIS

HER hourglass curves, platinum blonde tresses, and distinctive mole make her instantly recognisable. Marilyn Monroe is an enduring symbol of Hollywood, pop culture and frenzied fame. The fact that she died at only 36 years old means she’ll forever be remembered as the blonde bombshell with a slightly sad air about her, a character shrouded in rumours and myth.

It’s been 60 years since Marilyn (born Norma Jeane Mortenson) was found dead in her locked bedroom after overdosing on sleeping pills. Speculation was rife about whether it was an accident, suicide – or something more sinister due to her rumoured relationship with thenUS president John F Kennedy.

New Netflix film Blonde is the latest in a long line of films trying to understand the woman behind the headlines. Ana de Armas plays Marilyn in the movie, which is based on a novel by Joyce Carol Oates.

“It’s a version of Marilyn Monroe’s life through her lens,” Ana (34) says. Director Andrew Dominik had a specific vision, she adds. “He wanted the world to experience what it actually felt like to not only be Marilyn, but also Norma Jeane.”

Marilyn was “deeply traumatised”, Andrew believes. She created a split between her public and private personas – to the world she was the buxom blonde with the breathy voice, and in private she was just Norma Jeane.