Chloé Sevigny Thinks She and Marilyn Monroe Would Have Been Friends
The actress talks parallels between herself and the Old Hollywood star for the opening of “Manifesting Marilyn: The Making of an Icon.”
Chloé Sevigny got “quite emotional” walking through the Genesis House in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District on Monday night. There, in honor of what would have been Marilyn Monroe’s 100th birthday, the space transformed with the immersive installation, “Manifesting Marilyn: The Making of an Icon.”
“We had her for too brief a time,” Sevigny says of Monroe, though “Manifesting Marilyn” is attempting to remedy that fact. A display of faux newspaper headlines continues her curtailed timeline, while a library of books from Monroe’s personal collection and snippets from her final interview with Richard Meryman for Life expand on her established persona. “There were so many variations of her,” Sevigny tells W. “She must have been so much more complicated than we know.”
Sevigny, an admirer of Old Hollywood, was the perfect attendee for the event. In many ways, there are parallels between Monroe and Sevigny. The obvious, of course: They’re both blonde actors, oft referred to as It girls, at times wrung out by the hands of the Hollywood machine. Sevigny plays further into these comparisons with her outfit for the exhibition’s opening reception. Her form-fitting Claire Sullivan dress evokes Monroe with its color—though a subway grate’s wind gust would hardly ruffle the layers of lace that sit on the design’s hem and shoulder.
Sevigny believes both she and Monroe were similarly “pigeonholed,” a phenomenon faced by many actresses. “People in Hollywood see us in a certain light and it’s very hard to get out of that,” she says. At 51, Sevigny is still trying to break past her indie actress persona, just as “Manifesting Marilyn” is attempting to broaden the story of the blonde bombshell. Below, Sevigny discusses Monroe further, shares her favorite movie from the actor, and contemplates her continued legacy.
What does Marilyn mean to you?
I think about her often. She’s so misunderstood and maligned. People project all this stuff onto her as a bombshell, but she was a real thinker and she respected the craft.
What was so special about her?
You don’t get as far as she did in Hollywood based on looks alone. There were so many beautiful women, especially at that time, in the business. But she had to have something special, some spark beyond the ditzy thing. She was a go-getter. And I’m sure there was a connection, too, when she met people. She must have been personable. She must have been impactful beyond her figure.
How can you relate to Marilyn as a fellow actor?
I recently watched Mariska Hargitay’s documentary about her mom, Jayne Mansfield, who was also so misunderstood. I can relate to it, even being an actress in the ’90s. There was this chokehold. Now, post-Me Too, all the new girls coming up can’t even imagine what it was like for us. It was such a different climate. And by that same reasoning, I can’t imagine what it was like for Marilyn.
Does she inspire your style at all?
Just the way she moved and wore clothes and smiled and carried herself is such an inspiration.
What about your look for tonight? You see white, and you do think of Marilyn in The Seven Year Itch.
I just wanted to wear something fun and flirty from an independent New York designer. I do think about the color white in association with Marilyn because of her white hair and the white dress.
Do you have a favorite Marilyn film?
I love The Misfits and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
Montgomery Clift, Monroe, and Clark Gable in The Misfits.
Why do you think this obsession with Marilyn has continued? Why are we celebrating her 100th birthday when she has been gone for over 60 years?
She is a mystery to a certain extent. People are intrigued by her beauty and her transformation story. How does Norma Jean have the wherewithal to become Marilyn Monroe, from ginger-blonde to platinum, from farm girl to glamour girl? That takes strength, courage, and determination. I also think people are taken by her ingenuity and stamina.
What can we learn from her story?
It was a tragedy. You need to surround yourself with community and people who believe in you and encourage you, people you can feel safe around and express your fears and desires around.
Both you and Marilyn have been considered It girls. Do you think you two would have been friends?
I would hope so. My friends all know me as quite funny—although I don’t have that reputation in Hollywood. But I think we would have had a laugh.
