The Diva

Who was the real Marilyn Monroe? Celebrating 100 years of an icon.

In her final interview, Marilyn Monroe observed: “When you're famous, you run into human nature in a raw kind of way. People think: Who is she? Who does she think she is, Marilyn Monroe?”

Who was Marilyn Monroe? It depends who you ask. Some dismissed her as a dumb blonde, others say she was a savvy self-promoter, an influencer before influencers existed. Some labelled her a diva who was late to set and ruined takes, others argue she was an artist fighting back against the studio machine. Many say she was a victim, a martyr, a tragedy – others say she was a survivor.

Celebrating 100 years of Marilyn Monroe, Ellen E Jones overturns the myths of Monroe – many of which she created herself. Speaking with those who knew Marilyn best, Ellen explores five ‘faces’ of the blonde bombshell.

In this episode, we meet Marilyn Monroe: 'The Diva'. As Marilyn breaks contract and escapes to New York, rumours swirl of her being late to set and difficult to work with. But Ellen discovers that Marilyn was in fact fighting back against the studio machine. We hear from the daughters of photographer Sam Shaw, Edie and Meta Shaw, and his granddaughter Melissa Shaw; Marilyn's close friend Amy Greene; David Strasberg, son of Marilyn's legendary acting tutor Lee Strasberg; and biographer Sarah Churchwell.

Presented by Ellen E Jones
Produced by Alice McKee for BBC Audio