Ranking The Actresses Who’ve Portrayed Marilyn Monroe
In Andrew Dominik’s new film Blonde, Ana de Armas takes on the intimidating role of Marilyn Monroe. But this isn’t the first movie to bring the iconic star to life, and several actresses before her have brought different interpretations and unique qualities to the part. Whether these portrayals were all completely accurate or well received is another story, though. So with that in mind, we’ve ranked 10 on-screen Marilyns using audience response, critical reception, and awards glory. Any guesses who clinched the top spot?
10. Poppy Montgomery: Blonde (2001)
Nope, Dominik wasn’t the first director to tackle Joyce Carol Oates’ book Blonde. The fictionalized story of Monroe’s life was adapted for a 2001 television movie of the same name. In that instance, Australia’s Poppy Montgomery was handed the responsibility of playing the blonde bombshell. Quite the task! But how did the actress do? What did people think of her performance?
The lukewarm response
Well, Montgomery’s portrayal did get some positive responses from critics, with Tom Shales of The Washington Post saying, “[She] does an essentially acceptable job.” Not exactly glowing, but not horrible, either. He thought the actress’ attempts to mirror Monroe’s grin and vulnerability were spot on. As for the movie, though, Shales wrote, “[It’s] a horrid, morbid mess. Not just trash but dismal, pretentious, and artsy-smartsy trash.” Ouch!
9. Barbara Niven: The Rat Pack (1998)
How’s this for a stacked cast? 1998’s TV movie The Rat Pack starred the likes of Ray Liotta, Don Cheadle, and Joe Mantegna in a story about the titular group. Marilyn Monroe also shows up in the film, with Barbara Niven taking on the part. She’s built a solid career for herself on the small screen, but this is still arguably her most high-profile role.
Only one stand-out moment
So, how was Niven’s portrayal? Overall, she doesn’t play a huge role in the story, with her initial meeting with John F. Kennedy marking her stand-out moment. The film itself received an okay reception from critics and audiences alike. It sits on a Rotten Tomatoes score of 57 percent, while its IMDb user rating is 6.6 out of 10. She also looks a bit like Marilyn in this photo from a few years earlier!
