Cinema legend and 20th century icon Marilyn Monroe is one of the most beloved figures in entertainment, having left a major mark on pop culture. Since her tragic death in 1962 at the age of 36, the sensational starlet has been portrayed on both the big and small screen on numerous occasions, with many actresses attempting to capture her captivating essence and rare magnetism. Taking on the role of the blonde bombshell is no easy task, as many performers have tried and failed to bring Monroe to life on film. When someone is able to defy the odds and nail the Hollywood siren’s mannerism, speech, and allure, the results can be quite spectacular.



The highly-anticipated and equally controversial Netflix original Blonde is set to premiere in September, with Ana de Armas headlining the picture as the enduring movie star; the NC-17 adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates’ novel caused quite a splash and has once again renewed discussions on Monroe. Many noteworthy performers have played the beauty, with Michelle Williams having earned an Oscar nomination for her portrayal in 2011’s My Week with Marilyn and both Ashley Judd and Mira Sorvino tackling the complex woman in 1996’s Norma Jean & Marilyn. Let’s take a look back at some of the best actors’ portrayals of the celebrated blonde.

8 Kelli Garner (The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe)

gChronicling the superb rise of the blonde bombshell from her transition as Norma Jeane Mortenson to cinema icon Marilyn Monroe, the 2015 Lifetime drama miniseries The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe features Kelli Garner as the sensational starlet as she reflects on her past heartbreaks and traumas to her psychiatrist.

Based on J. Randy Taraborrelli’s novel of the same name, the great miniseries co-stars Susan Sarandon, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Emily Watson and went on to be nominated for three Creative Arts Emmy Awards. Garner’s portrayal of the misunderstood movie star was singled out, with Entertainment Weekly noting, “She reminds you how tragic it is that this beloved Hollywood icon was once so full of life—hyper-animated, with her eyelashes batting and her lips pursing and her voice squealing—and yet, by the end, she was empty inside.”

7 Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn)

The critically acclaimed 2011 drama My Week with Marilyn depicts the sensational star’s involvement in the 1957 picture The Prince and the Showgirl, delving into the concerns and chaos regarding the actress’ arrival in London and her relationship with her co-star Laurence Olivier and escort Colin Clark.

Related: How Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn Represented Two Types of Femininity to Hollywood

Michelle Williams rightfully earned an Academy Award nomination for her brilliant portrayal of Marilyn, having prepared for the hefty role by reading her biographies, notes and diaries while closely studying her mannerisms, posture and gait for six months. On embodying the twentieth century wonder, Williams expressed, “The wonderful thing about Marilyn is that I haven’t had to let her go. She’s a part of me. You can’t really forget her.”

6 Ashely Judd (Norma Jean & Marilyn)

The 1996 made-for-TV movie Norma Jean & Marilyn cleverly cast both Ashley Judd and Mira Sorvino as the blonde goddess, with the former portraying Norma Jeane as she dreams of Hollywood stardom and the latter tackling the dazzling persona that was Marilyn Monroe. The savvy drama portrays two sides of the complicated actress and showcases her inner struggles to find and maintain her happiness and alter ego, depicting Monroe’s tragedies and triumphs. Judd earned both a Golden Globe and Emmy nomination for her performance as the hopeful but insecure Norma Jean, beautifully capturing her innocence and determination while serving as Marilyn’s voice of self-doubt in her later years.

5 Theresa Russell (Insignificance)

Nicolas Roeg directed the 1985 British alternate history drama Insignificance, which centers on four famous figures in 1954 New York City as they cross paths at a hotel and discuss everything from their dysfunctional childhoods to sex and politics. Referred to as The Ballplayer, The Professor, The Actress, and The Senator, the creative flick’s lead characters are in fact the cultural icons Joe DiMaggio, Albert Einstein, Marilyn Monroe, and Joseph McCarthy and is based on Terry’s Johnson’s play of the same name. Theresa Russell delivered an exceptional performance as Monroe, appearing opposite Tony Curtis and Gary Busey in the drama, with her portrayal earning positive praise from critics; Roger Ebert stated that, “Russell doesn’t imitate. She builds her performance from the ground up, and it works to hold the movie together.”

4 Poppy Montgomery (Blonde)

For the 2001 made-for-television biographical drama Blonde, Australian actress Poppy Montgomery stepped into the starlet’s legendary shoes in the first adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates’ Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. The film blends fictional elements of Monroe’s life with real personal events, offering glimpses of her upbringing and marriage to James Dougherty and relationship with her mother Gladys as well as romances with Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller.

Related: Netflix’s Blonde: Plot, Cast, and Everything Else We Know

Blonde provides a deeply introspective and creative look at Monroe and was touted as a work of fiction, with Variety noting its “dark examination into the psyche of its subject, so while it has plenty of weaknesses, the mini accomplishes far more than most of its ilk.”

3 Susan Griffiths (Marilyn and Me)

Notable Marilyn Monroe impersonator Susan Griffiths quickly became synonymous with portraying the vivacious blonde, having appeared as the actress in 12 film and television projects. The performer has starred as either Monroe herself or a lookalike in shows like Growing Pains, Quantum Leap, and Dark Skies in addition to Quentin Tarantino’s iconic 1994 masterpiece Pulp Fiction, but really dug into the role when she was cast in the 1991 TV film Marilyn and Me.

Griffiths indeed has an uncanny resemblance to the silver screen legend and has made quite the career for herself appearing as Monroe, having once stated retrospectively, “I do work hard to look my best. I can only say that my resemblance and what I can bring to the table, after years of doing her, keep me working.”

2 Katharine McPhee & Megan Hilty (Smash)

Centering on a fictitious New York City theater’s development of a Broadway play on the life of Marilyn Monroe, the 2012 NBC musical drama series Smash features aspiring hopefuls and performers Karen Cartwright (Katharine McPhee) and Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty) as they vie to nab the role of Monroe in the dazzling show. The determined actresses must deliver their best portrayals of the icon if they want to lead the Bombshell musical, even going toe-to-toe with film star Rebeca Duvall (Uma Thurman) for the role of a lifetime. Smash had the superb cast tackle fun musical numbers about Monroe and her personal life and premiered to positive praise by critics, winning both a Primetime Emmy and GLAAD Media Award during its two-season run.

1 Mira Sorvino (Norma Jean & Marilyn)

Mira Sorvino joined Ashley Judd on the small screen when she appeared as Marilyn Monroe in the aforementioned 1996 made-for-TV movie Norma Jean & Marilyn, embodying the cinema siren when she adopted the electrifying persona. When summing up her Golden Globe & Emmy nominated performance in the tantalizing picture, Sorvino told Entertainment Weekly, “We take Marilyn’s character and divide her into two people and set them onto each other like Siamese fighting fish.”

To further prepare for the daunting part, the actress bleached her hair and donned an ash blonde wig and blue contacts, putting on a few pounds to resemble Monroe’s curvy shape. Norma Jean & Marilyn was one of the rare instances in which both leading ladies were nominated for a Golden Globe in the same category for the same role.