Ana de Armas, Michelle Williams, Susan Griffiths... Who played Marilyn Monroe best?

Marilyn Monroe is a true pop icon who's been reenacted by several TV and movie actresses in the past decades. Some had more success and talent than others. Most recently, Ana de Armas played Monroe in the tragic biopic 'Blonde.'

The actress of Cuban origin achieved a remarkable resemblance to Marilyn Monroe in the Netflix film from September 2022. It was directed by Australian filmmaker Andrew Dominik - known for 'The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,' 2007.

While she had already made several films, such as 'Knives Out' (2019) and 'No Time to Die' (2021) this biopic about Marilyn Monroe is said to be Ana de Armas' real springboard to worldwide fame. She was nominated for many awards, including a Golden Globe and an Oscar, for 'Blonde.'

In 'Blonde', some famous scenes featuring Marilyn Monroe returned. An example is this moment in 'The Seven Year Itch' (1955) in which the skirt of her dress got caught in the subway air and the breeze of the crossing of Lexington Avenue and 52nd St.

To resemble Marilyn Monroe, Ana de Armas "spent between two-and-a-half to three hours in hair and makeup each morning of the film’s 47-day shoot," Netflix reports.

It also states that she had to "work through a series of emotionally wrenching scenes." This is understandable because Marilyn Monroe's life was not an easy one.

The film is based on the book by Joyce Carol Oates and mixes reality with fiction. According to some critics, this role could take Ana de Armas to the Oscars, as happened with Michelle Williams after she played Marilyn in 2011.

Michelle Williams also played Marilyn Monroe at some point. She stepped into the shoes of the legendary actress in 'My Week with Marilyn' by the English director and producer Simon Curtis.

The film, released in 2011, was about the time when Marilyn Monroe shot the movie 'The Prince and the Showgirl' in 1957.

It reflects the relationship of complicity between the actress (very famous at that time) and a production assistant on the set, played by Eddie Redmayne.

The performance of Michelle Williams was so strong that she got a Golden Globe for Best Actress - Musical or Comedy (2011) and an Oscar nomination, among other accolades. She didn't win the Oscar for her role as Marilyn but would be nominated again for an Oscar in 2023 - yes, the same year as Ana de Armas - for her role in Stephen Spielberg's movie 'The Fabelmans.'

Thanks to her obvious physical resemblance, gestures, and movements, actress Susan Griffiths has dedicated a large part of her professional life to playing Marilyn Monroe.

We have seen her in many projects as Marilyn Monroe. Specifically, she appeared in 'Marilyn & Me' (1991) and 'Pulp Fiction' (1994), 'Quantum Leap' (1993), 'Dark skies' (1997), and 'Timecop' (1997).

Theresa Russell played Marilyn in 1985 (wearing the famous white dress) in 'Insignificance'. The film narrates the meeting between Albert Einstein, Joseph McCarthy, and Joe DiMaggio.

In the movie 'The Rat Pack,' American actress Barbara Niven plays Marilyn when she meets, through Frank Sinatra, the president of the United States John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Reportedly, both men were lovers of hers at some point.

In 'Norma Jean & Marilyn' (1996), Ashley Judd and Mira Sorvino portray the star before and after: her previous life as Norma Jean Baker and her success as an actress. Both Ashley Judd and Mira Sorvino were nominated for Best Actress at the Emmy Awards and the Golden Globes.

There is another film with the same title as Ana de Armas', albeit with a lower profile. It was a TV movie that premiered in 2001 with actress Poppy Montgomery as the lead.

'The Kennedys' (2011) featured Greg Kinnear as President Kennedy and Katie Holmes as Jacqueline Kennedy. A smaller role is that of Marilyn Monroe, played by the Canadian actress Charlotte Sullivan. Her storyline deals with Monroe's alleged relationship with the former American president.

Some people may not remember that Uma Thurman played Marilyn Monroe, but she did. For anyone who's curious, there's the series 'Smash' (2012). It's about the filming of a Broadway musical based on Marilyn's life.

Another miniseries about Marilyn is this one from 2015, titled 'The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe.' In the cast, we find Susan Sarandon, among others, but in the leading role there's American actress Kelli Garner. The series tells a story, with more dramatic overtones, about the intimate life of the blonde actress.

Blake Lively as Serena van der Woodsen dazzled in the series 'Gossip Girl' when she imitated Marilyn in a memorable scene. It's the one in which Marilyn sang the song 'Diamonds are a girl's best friend' in the movie 'Gentlemen Prefect Blondes' (1953).

And finally, as a bonus track, there's Madonna in the video for 'Material Girl' (1984), which also emulates the iconic scene from 'Gentlemen Prefect Blondes.'