Was Marilyn Monroe the greatest actress in cinema history?

 Marilyn Monroe is possibly the most famous actress in history; her image remains widely recognized today, even more than the vast majority, if not all, classic actresses. However, few consider her one of the greatest actresses of all time, and even fewer consider her the best. This is due to several factors, but it is heavily influenced by her public image. Most people, when talking about great performances, refer primarily to dramatic roles. Marilyn certainly delivered dramatic performances, but she is especially known for her comedies. Of her five most popular films, four are comedies. This has led many to underestimate her, as drama is often valued over comedy. If someone has only seen Marilyn’s comedies, they might think that’s all she could offer. Furthermore, her image has been shaped by the idea that she was a “dumb blonde.” Personally, I don’t share that view, because I don’t see most of her comedic performances as fitting that stereotype. Among her main roles, only the girl in The Seven Year Itch and perhaps Pola Debevoise in How to Marry a Millionaire could be seen as “dumb blonde.” However, Lorelei Lee in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is clever and cunning, Elsie Marina in The Prince and the Showgirl, though innocent, proves quite perceptive, and Sugar Kane in Some Like It Hot is more emotional than foolish. Honestly, if someone thinks the most famous actress in history was dumb, perhaps the flaw lies in their perception, not in Marilyn.

Other aspects of her life and death have attracted so much attention that they have overshadowed her acting work. Marilyn was, without a doubt, one of the greatest actresses of history, and in this article, I will argue why. She is personally my favorite actress, and I believe it can be convincingly argued that she is not only among the best but could even be considered the greatest. I do not claim this as a universal truth, but as a defendable and reasoned argument: saying Marilyn was the greatest actress in history is not a subjective or senseless opinion. Just as one could argue that Katherine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, or Meryl Streep are the best, the same can be argued for Marilyn.

The main reason Marilyn could be considered the greatest actress in history is her extreme versatility. But before going into details, it is important to clarify what versatility means in film. When an actor is described as versatile, it refers to their ability to perform different types of roles or genres. In cinema, there are many genres, but not all require a specific acting style. One could say there are five main types of performance: drama, comedy, action, musical, and horror. Other genres, like adventure, do not have a unique acting style; they usually combine elements of drama, action, or comedy. For example, in River of No Return, an adventure western, Marilyn’s character Kay combines drama, musical, and small touches of action. Meanwhile, Matt, played by Robert Mitchum, mixes drama with action. A single performance can focus on just one type: Marilyn as the girl in The Seven Year Itch delivers a purely comedic performance. On the other hand, Marilyn as Sugar Kane in Some Like It Hot combines comedy, drama, and musical elements, demonstrating her ability to adapt to multiple registers in a single role.

When it comes to comedy, there is really little to debate: Marilyn is one of the greatest comic actresses in history, practically indisputably. Just for this reason alone, she could be considered a great actress. But let’s go into more detail. Marilyn starred in numerous comedies: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, How to Marry a Millionaire, The Seven Year Itch, The Prince and the Showgirl, Some Like It Hot, and Let’s Make Love. This refers only to her leading roles, since most of her supporting performances also include comedic elements, even in dramas such as All About Eve or Clash by Night.

Marilyn’s excellence in comedy is practically unquestionable, so it doesn’t require much explanation. However, it is worth highlighting that her best primarily comic performance is as Elsie Marina in The Prince and the Showgirl, her least known comedy. Her performance as Elsie was highly praised and recognized at the time, despite the film being less popular. I say “primarily comic” because in Some Like It Hot, besides being outstandingly funny, Marilyn also brings an important dramatic component as Sugar Kane. But it’s not just Elsie and Sugar: in her other comedies, Marilyn is also exceptional, especially in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Even in Bus Stop, mostly a dramatic film, her character Cherie displays several comic nuances. In short, there is little debate: Marilyn is one of the greatest comic actresses in history and arguably the best.

Moving on to drama, there is much to discuss. Marilyn is not as well known for her dramatic performances, but the truth is that she delivered several outstanding roles in this genre. In her main films —Don’t Bother to Knock, Niagara, River of No Return, Bus Stop, and The Misfits— Marilyn gave notable dramatic performances. She was not only a comic actress; in her leading roles, she performed nearly as many dramatic roles as comedic ones. Regarding her supporting roles, most are comedic, though there are clear exceptions such as The Asphalt Jungle and O. Henry’s Full House, where she demonstrates her dramatic abilities. Even in Clash by Night, which combines comedy and drama, her performance shows remarkable skill in blending both registers. Other leading roles, such as There’s No Business Like Show Business, Some Like It Hot, and Let’s Make Love, also include significant dramatic components, though not predominant.

As a dramatic actress, Marilyn was excellent. Her performance in Bus Stop was highly praised at the time as a major achievement, though it went unawarded. The Misfits was, interestingly, not as recognized upon release but gained the acknowledgment it deserved over time. Specifically, Bus Stop and The Misfits are considered by nearly everyone to be Marilyn’s finest performances and are undoubtedly exceptional dramatic work, among the best ever seen in cinema. These two performances stand out because they are Marilyn’s only fully method-acting roles, something I will elaborate on later due to its importance. Even so, her non-method dramatic performances, such as in Don’t Bother to Knock, Niagara, or River of No Return, are also very strong and would rank at least in the top eight of her career. Moreover, at the time, Marilyn could have been considered practically the best dramatic actress of the moment, at least for a period, which I will discuss further. In summary, although Marilyn was less known for her dramatic work, she was excellent in this field, delivering two historically significant dramatic performances. And while she may not have been as unmatched in drama as in comedy, she was clearly exceptional in both genres—and in comedy, simply unparalleled.

Regarding musicals, it is fair to note that comedy and drama are the most important genres, as they are the ones that primarily drive films in most cinematic contexts. However, Marilyn was also outstanding in the musical field. In fact, she starred in only one pure musical: There’s No Business Like Show Business. But in most of her major films, Marilyn sings at least one song, sometimes even three or four, even when the film is not a musical. Musically, Marilyn was exceptional: she had a very pleasant voice, and although she was not a professional dancer, her style and glamour made her dazzling in movement.

Songs such as Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend and I Wanna Be Loved by You have become some of the most iconic songs in film history. I want to give a special mention to One Silver Dollar in River of No Return, perhaps the song in which Marilyn demonstrates her greatest vocal skill. As mentioned before, she was not a professional dancer, but she knew how to move, and her style and glamour added greatly to her performances. In summary, Marilyn was also exceptional in musicals, though perhaps slightly below her mastery in comedy and drama. With this, she excelled in three genres: comedy, drama, and musical. Few actors or actresses can claim such versatility.

Now we come to horror, a genre that few great actors have explored. It is important to clarify that when I speak of horror, I mean performances that are genuinely frightening, not merely surviving within a horror movie. For example, in a slasher film, this would consider the killers but not the “final girls,” who usually combine drama with action or comedy with action, as in Scream.

Marilyn is one of the few major actresses to venture into horror, or at least something close to it. I am referring to Don’t Bother to Knock, where her character Nell combines a dramatic performance with elements of horror and touches of action. It is not pure horror, but it can be interpreted as psychological horror: Nell is a mentally unstable nanny, making her dangerous and, in certain aspects, frightening. It is not a fully terrifying performance, nor can it be considered excellent in the genre, but it does count. It can be frightening and is very well acted. In this area, Marilyn is not outstanding, as she only has one film that touches on horror and it is not fully in the genre. Still, this is more than most great actors who have never ventured anywhere near horror.

Finally, we come to action, Marilyn’s weakest area. She was definitely not a particularly strong performer in this genre. Not because she couldn’t have been—perhaps with training she could have achieved great results—but because she never pursued it, and considering her appearance and public image, studios probably would not have cast her in action roles.

Still, action is not completely absent from her career. In Don’t Bother to Knock, Niagara, and River of No Return, there are small touches of action. In Don’t Bother to Knock, there are some fights and moments of violence, though limited. In Niagara, without spoilers, there are elements of survival. And in River of No Return, there are scenes involving resistance to the river and some violence, though not excessive. Marilyn was certainly not an Arnold Schwarzenegger, but she was not completely absent from action either. She made small forays into the genre, which is more than many great actresses have done. Therefore, while action was not her strength by any means, she did demonstrate some presence in this area, albeit limited.

Looking at all of this, we can see that Marilyn did it all: comedy, drama, musical, horror, and action. And it’s not just that she did it all—she was excellent in comedy, drama, and musicals.vVersatility is a fundamental aspect of acting, and in this regard, few actors or actresses could compete with Marilyn. This makes it clear that Marilyn was, without a doubt, one of the greatest actresses in film history, and it could be argued that she was even the greatest. But we’re not finished yet.

Now is the time to discuss an aspect I mentioned when talking about drama, and it is truly important: Marilyn was the first female superstar to use method acting in film history. When I say “actress,” I mean she was the first female actor to adopt the method; male actors like Marlon Brando had already done so before. But in the female sphere, Marilyn was a pioneer, and this was revolutionary. I mention “superstar” because, although Marilyn was not the first method actress, she was the first major star whose performance had a massive impact. Marlon Brando was also not the first method actor, but he popularized it with A Streetcar Named Desire in 1951. Before Marilyn, several popular actors practiced method acting, but no leading actress had done so.

Marilyn began studying at the Actors Studio in 1955 and in 1956 delivered her first method performance in Bus Stop, the first by a major actress. This had a huge impact, showing that method acting was not just for men, at a time when classical theatrical drama was in decline. Shortly afterward, other actresses such as Elizabeth Taylor or Shirley MacLaine would approach method acting, but Marilyn was the first and she kicked it off. It is worth noting that before Marilyn, Judy Garland had highly emotional and intense performances, close to method acting, but not strictly method. Also, in her previous films, such as Don’t Bother to Knock, Niagara, or River of No Return, Marilyn was not yet method, but she was also not classical theatrical; her performances were much more emotional, like Judy Garland. However, it was with Bus Stop that the first method performance by a major actress occurred. This is revolutionary and must be given serious consideration.

Before concluding, it is important to mention one last aspect: the short duration of Marilyn’s career. She did not have a 40- or 50-year career like other actresses, such as Katherine Hepburn. Everything I have discussed regarding her versatility and excellence was achieved in a career of barely fifteen years, of which roughly ten were leading roles. This is highly significant: Marilyn was one of the most versatile and revolutionary actresses in history, and she accomplished this in a very short period of time. Her career was short because she died at 36, not because she chose to retire, as Grace Kelly did when she became a princess. Marilyn was one of the most dedicated actresses in history, always striving to improve and surpass herself. Her time at the Actors Studio is proof of this. For Marilyn, acting was her life and her dream from childhood. These aspects are also crucial when evaluating her impact and greatness as an actress.

In summary, Marilyn Monroe is definitely one of the greatest actresses in history, and although this is not a universal truth, it can be argued that she is the greatest of all time. She was an extremely versatile actress who did it all and excelled particularly in comedy, drama, and musicals. She was a revolutionary actress, being the first major female method actress in history, highly committed to her work, and she achieved all this in a very short career. Some might argue that on set she was often late, forgot lines, and required many takes, but this is irrelevant, because what matters is the final result, not the filming process. Furthermore, the extra takes were due to her desire to give her best, and actors like Marlon Brando or Elizabeth Taylor were just as or even more difficult on set. In essence, Marilyn Monroe is one of the greatest actresses in history, and hopefully in the future she will be recognized more for the excellence of her work than for her beauty.