Above is a photo of Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe. She will be playing Monroe in My Week With Marilyn, a film about a week on the London set of The Prince and the Showgirl back in the 1950s, told from the perspective of an assistant on the production. It’s apparently based on a true story, I guess. And I guess it got made because so many people still have a weird Marilyn fetish. Actually, I can kind of understand why this film is being made in general, just because it probably is the kind of juicy, interesting actory story that people love – Ken Branagh is playing Laurence Olivier, after all. What bothers me, however, is that I think Michelle will end up making a pretty crappy Marilyn. Yes, she kind of looks like her, but Marilyn could do vivacious and bubbly and bombshell, where Michelle… excels at drama. Eh. Here’s more about the film:
Julia Ormond is playing Vivien Leigh after Catherine Zeta-Jones dropped out, and Dougray Scott is playing Arthur Miller. Filming starts today in London on the feature, which is shooting for 7 weeks at Pinewood and on location in and around the city. Michelle Williams is cast as Marilyn Monroe alongside Kenneth Branagh (Laurence Oliver), Judi Dench (Dame Sybil Thorndike), Dominic Cooper, Emma Watson and Derek Jacobi with Eddie Redmayne playing Colin Clark, the young assistant on the set of the 1956 film The Prince and the Showgirl who helped the star escape her pressure-cooker Hollywood career for a brief week. Directed by Simon Curtis (BBC TV’s Cranford) and produced by David Parfitt (Shakespeare In Love), the film is based on Clark’s diaries and has been adapted for the screen by Adrian Hodges. Parfitt’s Trademark Films is the production company, while The Weinstein Company is financing and distributing. BBC Films and Lipsync Productions are co-financing the film, which was developed in association with the UK Film Council and BBC Films.
[From Deadline]
You know what’s weird? When Marilyn filmed The Prince and the Showgirl, she was already married to Arthur Miller, and he came to London for the shoot as well. And yet I don’t think there will be an actor portraying Miller – strange. Oh, Dougray Scott is playing Miller. My bad… although that’s really strange casting. At least Branagh gets to achieve his lifelong dream of becoming Olivier.
Header photo courtesy of Deadline.
Doesn’t it say Dougray Scott is going to play Miller? Anyway, I think Michelle’s portrayal of Marilyn will be excellent. We don’t need an imitation, but an impression, and she is gifted enough to do that.
I am not a fan of Michelle’s at all.
And one thing she is missing is the sex!
I don’t think it’s going to be good….
I hope she rocks it. She is a great mommy and a pretty good actress. I’m crossing my fingers!
i think michelle may be able to do a pretty decent job. she has played slightly bubbly before in Dick and occasionally on Dawson’s Creek. and besides, the movie seems to be about marilyn off the set, and considering her death i’d highly doubt she was such a bubbly person all the time in her personal life.
She needs to work on the eyebrows a bit, everything else is good. Will have to go look for a body shot.
hmm, I don’t see it. I don’t think michelle williams is a great actress, but…yeah. I can think of several actresses that may portray Marilyn Monroe a bit better: Rachel Wiesz, Amy Adams, Emily Blunt.
Of course she can’t. Michelle is a great actress but doesn’t have the charme and charisma it takes to play Marilyn.
She looks more like Ava Gardner in that photo.
You hit the nail on the head-no bombshell/bubbly with Michelle. And, she is going to have to pad her bra considerably!
Will LOVE to see Kenneth Branaugh as Olivier, though. I’ve enjoyed him so much more since he stopped trying to play romantic leads. I think “Frankenstein” finished him off as far as playing a man in love anyway (of course, I was in the Emma camp on that real life slip-up anyway…)
I’m fairly positive the white hair/dark eyebrows thing looks good on pretty much…nobody. Monroe for some reason seemed to be able to pull it off.
I doubt anyone will agree with me on this but, I would go with Pamela Anderson. Oddly, after watching her on DWTS, last season, I believe she could pull it off better than Michelle. Of course, Michelle is an amazing actress. So, I think she will be fine.
I love that out of the dozens of Marilyn obsessed ninnies in Hollywood, any of whom would have killed for the part (Lindsay and Scarlett come to mind), they went with someone who has never once obsessed over her. Brillz! I always found *every* “starlet’s” obsession with her annoying.
Yeah .. if she was skinnier and had pointy eyebrows, she’d look 95% just like her, but she doesn’t look lively enough, bubbly enough. Another Marilyn attempt faillll. :O
michele williams looks distractingly like miss piggy and not like bombshell. bad idea, imho.
Joan absolutely. I think Pamela Anderson would be perfect!
Poppy Montgomery (from Without a Trace) played a young Marilyn once and I thought she was fabulous. Really looked a lot like her.
Terrible choice — she has good technical skills as actress — but no warmth – she exudes cold.
If Marilyn were a hollywood starlet today we would probably be on “bump watch” 24/7. I wish more people had meat on their bones instead of being so sickly skinny all the time!
Lindsey Lohan or Angelina Jolie would have been better than Michelle Williams. Her eyes appear to be sunken in her head, bad casting. If Lindsay Lohan could get herself togeher she would have been a perfect , Marilyn Monroe. Michelle Willimas looks nothing like Marilyn Monroe and with make-up she seems to be trying too hard to resemble her,I would not pay to see that movie.
Michelle just doesnt ooze sex kitten charisma. She’s not pretty enough either.
Even in Marilyn Monroes pics, it’s all there but not for Michelle. . No, I dont think she can pull off Marilyn.
I also dont think Lohan could pull this off either because her face is all wrong to play Marilyn.
In a word: no.
The makeup is all wrong, her eyebrows should be more arched, and she should have fake eyelashes on.
I like Michelle but somebody said she looks more like Ethel Mertz than Marilyn and I kind of agree.
I like Michelle but I don’t think Marilyn can ever really be doubled. Even if they make Michelle look like MM, she will not have the magnetism, the unbelievable screen presence Marilyn had. Michelle is a good actress, but she doesn’t have that.
Also: she needs to seriously pack on a few pounds if she wants to attempt playing Marilyn. Unlike celebs today, the woman had a wonderful, healthy and curvy body. I wonder if Michelle will go the whole nine yards and do it.
go back to dawson’s creek. please.
I can’t stand her, and so I hate to say this, but you know who looks just like Marillyn (at least in these pics)? Katherine Heigl. (Or however you spell her name). But I think she’s an awful actress and couldn’t pull it off, no matter the resemblance.
humble beginnings much??
Kaiser, is this the same movie that was gossiped about a while ago with Angelina as Marilyn? People were saying ‘horrible idea’ to that too. Thing is, I think Marilyn is inimitable, so I doubt anyone would be able to pull it off without some degree of criticism. I’m open to Michelle, only because she is an actor, not a ‘movie star’ (in the sense that she isn’t overblown in the media) and thus she could morph better than someone who is always in the tabloids. I like that they took someone who isn’t known as a sex symbol. It’s a risky role because Marilyn is a hard act to follow. I hope she can pull it off. I would have loved to see CZJ as Vivien – that was good casting. I guess she pulled out due to Michael’s illness? Shame.
No way. Too many hard edges and not enough sex appeal and va-va-voom to successfully portray Marilyn. And despite the wig and makeup, she looks nothing like her.
I hope so….she looks like her here.
Michelle’s a good actress and all but I totally think Scarlett Johansson would of portrayed Marilyn way better. Michelle’s kinda too thin and not curvy enough to be honest…
I don’t know, I think Scarlett Johansson has more of that sex kitten ooziness. I wonder why they didn’t try to get her?
She doesnt have a personality for marilyn. Idk. I think naomi watts will be a better marilyn in that other monroe movie that I read was being made
She’s not pulling it off.
Kara Killmer from If I Can Dream made a surprisingly/eerily realistic Marilyn in a gimmick photo shoot during her reality show. Seeing these photos of Marilyn only reinforces that opinion.
But I absolutely adore Michelle… and while I never would’ve thought of this casting decision, I have faith in her ability to pull it off.
God, why do people want to emulate her all the time? I get that Marilyn’s a beautiful woman and had a scandalous life, but has anyone seriously fully read a biography on her?
Marilyn was extremely insecure, probably had Borderline Personality Disorder, had problems with men in her life, not very happy with her life, despite her being an icon, ending in her committing suicide.
With all these celebrities that like to dress up like her, her image has become basically a joke. The fact you can buy a Marilyn Monroe Halloween costume just adds to the fact.
People need to let this poor woman rest in peace.
Sorry about the rant, but that’s just the way I feel about it.
The real Marilyn was pretty messed up — depressed, insecure — so Michelle doesn’t have to be bubbly/sexy to play her — the public image of Marilyn was the ACT (and proves what a good actress she was). Nonetheless I don’t think Michelle will do good job because I don’t think she is good actress and she has no sex appeal (much less the uber-sex appeal of Marilyn). Kenneth is a good actor but again he’s no where near as good looking as Olivier and Juliette Binoch is no where near as good looking as Vivien Leigh.
No, I don’t think so either. I like Williams, but she doesn’t seem to fit.
And I agree, #25, Heigl looks a LOT like Marilyn. I don’t know if she could pull off the vulnerable thing that MM could, but she certainly looks the part.
Nope.
okay that picture of michelle is just wrong…i dont know if she can pull off playing ms monroe but she looks so stupid in that pic.
the trouble is — without being too mean or condescending — michelle williams is just not that pretty. maybe she’s a lovely person, but despite being “famous,” (i suppose she is, it’s just pretty irrelevant to me) she just doesn’t have the look or the charisma.
marilyn was one of a kind. no one holds a candle to her.
WHY the need to keep repeating these weirdo imitation shots? Looking like does not = being, or even channeling.
It’s lame!
ugh – no.
i think she looks good and it resembles marilyn a lot. i think it is WAY more important how she will talk and move like her, and i am pretty sure michelle will make an awesome job!!
YEY MICHELLE, you will rock this role!!
The way they made her up in the picture suprises me. She certainly looks a bit like Marilyn there. But what are they going to do about the fact that she has the body of a twelve year old boy? A VERY long way from Marilyn’s for sure.
She can definitely pull it off, I see the resemblance. Michelle is a good actress and this could be a good break for her.
I like Michelle as an actress and I hope she can pull it off. Rather her than an actress that just wants to play Monroe because it’s ‘her idol’ like Lindsay Lohan or Megan Fox. But when I see this photo, I see Michelle Williams, not Marilyn Monroe. Where’s the spark in the eyes that Marilyn had? I don’t see it.
I think she’ll hit this one out of the park. She’s an excellent actor.
This film has a lot of dubious casting. Julia Ormond is playing Vivien Leigh. I don’t think so!! Ormond does not have Leigh’s fire. Not even close.
I would really need to see somthing to judge if she could do it or not. I really don’t see anyone else playing the part. Maybe an unknown would be best, but then it wouldn’t get the PR that it’s getting now.
someone above mentioned some older actresses and mainstream ones, but I guess Michelle beat them out???
wonder who else auditioned?
Really bad casting idea. Williams does NOT have the chops to pull this off. I’ve always thought she was overrated cardboard, and working opposite Judi Dence and Kenneth Branagh is only going to make her look worse by comparison.
No way!
She does not exude sex at all, she looks too plain and doesn’t even have the body and curves MM did. Marilyn never looked plain, boring or ordinary
who thought this was a good idea?
mm was the quintessential knockout bombshell. she knew she was beautiful, and she played the sex kitten card perfectly. michelle williams, while a talented actress, is one of the LAST women in hollywood that comes to mind when the words “sex kitten” and “bombshell” are involved.
i do agree that mm was playing a role in her outward hollywood life, and that on the inside, she was probably a pretty messed up person. maybe michelle williams– a good actress– can capture this? idk, she just isn’t pretty, sexy, or attractive.
All the MM makeup makes her look older. It’s not flattering on her. My gut says that this isn’t going to end well.
I don’t see it. Michelle is a fine and decent actress, but Marilyn had an inimitable charm. Marilyn captivated and sexualized the screen in a way I’ve never seen Michelle do. Michelle portrays more of a vulnerable shy aura on screen. Whatever, maybe it will work. Strong supporting cast will help, although for my 2 cents I hate Dominic Cooper and think he is hideous.
Wow, what an interesting casting decision. I’m thinking they’re going for the real MM and not the bubbly “on screen” version of her self that she played relentlessly, (no knock intended.) Besides, didn’t just about every actress, starlet, want this role? If MW beat them all out, I bet there’s a good reason why. I’m actually looking forward to this movie.
People need to get over her and Audrey Hepburn…most people don’t even really care about them as individuals, they just like the hype or most transparent, Hollywood translations of these women.
If Josh Brolin can play George W….
Impression or imitation – I don’t think any Hollywood actress / celebrity / movie star can play Marilyn. She’d have to be an unknown and gifted actress.
LOL You people are trippin. Marilyn Monroe was not some great actress. She was ok. She was the “dumb blonde” in her movies and yea I read that wikiapedia and I agree with it based on the old films I have seen. She was nothing special in terms of acting, she was entertaining. Michelle Williams is a brilliant actress and can EASILY portray her and I am sure she can capture the anguish Monroe went through in her early life, which by the way doesn’t excuse her whorish behavior with married men later on. I suppose it had alot to do with it but I am not gonna buy that, we all know right from wrong.
I like Michelle Williams, BUT….
I have never seen her in anything that she didn’t do that weird thing with her mouth that affects her speech. Marilyn had a distinctive way of speaking, and it would be VERY distracting to hear “her” speaking with her bottom lip pushed up under her teeth.
She looks constipated in that photo.
Sexy fail.
@60: Perhaps Jennifer Tilly could do the voice over and Michelle could lip sync.
If that photo is any indication, then no.
Kenneth Brannagh as Olivier may be interesting though.
A better film might be about the behind-the-scenes drama during the orginal movie shoot. The problem was, Olivier detested Marilyn and never bothered to hide it.
She idolized him , but of course, his haughty and obvious disdain exacerbated her worst insecurities and famously unprofessional behavior like the chronic lateness, which held up cast and crew, and caused major headaches, not to mention huge production overruns.
But all that is overshadowed by her luminous, sexual, yet dreamy and tentative, comedic screen presence.
Don’t know how Williams, with her boyish, almost sexually ambiguous affect can capture Monroe’s ripe, juicy, frankly female allure.
I think Scarlett Johnanson would have been perfect, Michelle and sexy just not come to mind in the same sentence.
horrible choice, sometimes her acting seems strained, nice girl I’m sure just never really cared for her acting.
I’m disappointed.
Wow.
I really am curious to see how these two (Williams and Ormond) are going to pull off these roles..
I love them both, but as was mentioned Williams might lack the sex kitten and Ormond might lack the fire….But, perhaps these two will surprise us. Fingers crossed!!
Ps. Scarlett Johannson could never have played her…Her voice is about a million octaves too deep.
Oops, my mistake.
I thought the new movie was going to be a remake of The Prince and the Showgirl.
I think she looks great and could probably really pull it off. Like someone else said, Marilyn in real life was not especially bubbly–she had some real, very serious problems, depression, and not the greatest life. And the sex kitten stuff came from her husky voice and the way she exuded a sort of quiet, mysterious demure manner. I think bubbly Marilyn was for the cameras only and this film is not a film of Marilyn in a film, if that makes sense. It is a back story, a real life look. I think Michelle Williams is perfect for it, and damn–she certainly pulls off the look.
She looks like Prince Poppycock in this picture. Total fail.
Man – what a bunch of haters. Good luck Michelle!
No absolutely not!! There is not a women alive who has the very essence of what Norma Jean – Marilyn Monroe had. Her sensuality is like no other. Everything about her was sensual. There are a lot of beautiful women but very few have a sexual aura. They look sexy but that is it. With Marilyn she screamed sex!! From the way she dressed, talked, walked, her depression, her intelligence…. She was a very beautiful, warm, classy lady who unfortunately was taken advantage of. She had a heart of gold. Her natural beauty and charisma is what came out on camera. Everything about her and not just one piece. There is only one Norma Jean – Marlyn Munroe
what???? nooooooo!! i was hoping they’ll take katherin heigl!!!!!!!!!!michelle just does not suit as marilyn at all!! She’s pretty but she doesn’t have nothing in common physically with marilyn. In the pic, she looks like marilyn’s grandma instead. Katherine heigl! where the heck is katherin heigl at???? why not her :'((((
I think it will be interesting to see how she does. I’m not ready to write her off. I think she is enormously talented, and this is very different from anything she’s done to date.
I hope she succeeds, but I believe that Marilyn was so unique, and has built up such a mystique, that it’s nearly impossible for anyone to capture her without making the audience think “Hey, there’s So-and-so playing Marilyn.”
She is incredibly ditzy and funny in Dick but that’s a whole world away from Marilyn. This is not going to be good.
I think Michelle Williams could do a good job, she is a decent actress. And don’t you guys remember her from early Dawson’s Creek, she was much curvier then than she is now.
There is no way anyone can play Marilyn, don’t they GET that?!
The only one that can come close (not talking about looks, but pure acting) is Meryl Streep.
I like Michelle as an actress, so I won’t count her out, but this does seem like an odd choice.
Ugh, I hate Michelle Williams, this movie is going to be terrible with her in it.
Then again, it could be worse. Like Lindsay Lohan. Or Paris Hilton.
No. There may be plenty of roles she’d be just fine in, but she just does not have what ti takes to portray an icon. Bad casting decision for sure.
Too bad, I think CZJ would have made a great Vivien Leigh.
I can’t wait. This will be one film I’m really looking forward seeing. I’m sure Michelle will do a great job.
I think Michelle is a very strong actress, so I can totally see her pulling this off.
Nah – i don’t think Michelle can pull it off.
Marilyn Monroe was a strong woman – i don’t think that Michelle can act the part. She’s too much of a softy
Charlize Theron would have been the ideal actress, pulling it off without a problem …. Where is she?
Looking at those pictures of Ms. Monroe it occurred to me that if she was acting today, she’d have had a nose job by now. And she would appear as generic as these little girls who emulate her. I’ve noticed the same looking at other actresses from bygone eras–they look like real people! They have different shaped noses and lips and bodies. We’re losing a lot of beauty to this homogenous standard of blow-up doll beauty.
Sounds interesting to me. I’m a long time Marilyn fan, and that was an unusual experience for her, staying in London and working with Olivier. It will be interesting to me to see what they do with this story. Sounds like they got a good cast, so I’d say the outlook is promising that it will be good.
One side note: Marilyn’s eyebrows weren’t as dark as Michelle Williams’ are in that top pic. I hope that she doesn’t look like that through the whole film, because it looks very odd. It makes her look like a Marilyn caricature, rather than an authentic recreation.
Williams is a good actress, but I can’t say I’ve ever found her attractive. I agree with those who think this is entirely miscast. Heigl looks the part, but could she pull off Marilyn?
Also confusing is why Julia Ormond is playing Vivian Leigh. They look and sound nothing alike, and I don’t think Julia can pull off the madness of Vivian.
Sometimes I wish Hollywood would leave the past in the past.
Um everyone seems to be basing their choice to play Marilyn on looks only. I guess that would work if you’re looking for an “impersonation”. Personally, I’d rather see a great actress that may not be the mirror image of Marilyn take on the role. I’m really rooting for Michelle because I adore her. Sorry, but those that say she is a “mediocre” actress have probably never seen her in anything besides Dawson’s Creek. She is very very talented.
She bores me.
Her features are too sharp to be Marilyn/Norma Jean.
I’d rather see ScarJo play Marilyn. When she has her hair cut short in those ringlets she’s a dead on MM. She also has the body and sexiness. MW does not. There’s nothing sexy about Williams. Not to mention she looks nothing like her. But Amy Adams can do the voice and the flightyness. Watch Miss Pettigrew and imagine her with Monroe’s famous look and tell me she’s not dead on. Amy Adams is perfection.
As for MM not being able to do drama, I always get pissed off when people say that, like she was a one note actress. My best guess is people never saw her full body of work because if they had they would have thought her role in “Don’t Bother Knocking” was brilliant. She had me convinced she was a psycho lunatic. She actually scared me. I was able to see past MM the sex symbol and get into her character. It was an amazing turn for her. Too bad she was never able to do more like it.
I can not judge till I see the film and from there we will see if she was the appropriate actress to pull off the appearance of Marilyn Monroe.
Marilyn’s sweet little old granny. Ha ha. Can’t wait to see this one. Not.
Will the real Marilyn please stand:
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm4148205568/nm0000054
http://imagesme.net/beautyhairstyles/katherine-heigl-classic-hairstyle1.jpg