Michelle Williams may be portraying blonde icon Marilyn Monroe in My Week With Marilyn. She is listed as “in talks” for the part, according to a Tweet from Production Weekly.
The film peeks behind the scenes during the making of 1957′s The Princess and the Showgirl co-starring Laurence Olivier. The story is based on a diary and told from the perspective of Colin Clark, a personal assistant to Olivier unofficially assigned to Marilyn on set. Clark’s account of the events deliberately left out a week’s worth of details, and the film will supposedly reveal what happened in the missing excerpt. Adrian Hodges adapted the book into a screenplay.
Scarlett Johansson, who was born to play Monroe, was rumored in past months but was never approached by the producer for whatever reason. Amy Adams was also considered.
Williams is not formerly signed for the film yet. She was offered the part at the start of December, but opted to “live” with Marilyn before deciding on whether or not to play her, according to the Daily Mail. Simon Curtis, the director, is scheduled to meet with Williams next week to discuss the role and perhaps come to an agreement.
This comes back to the age old argument when Hollywood uses a pre-existing figure. Do you find someone that looks like the person, or the most talented actor available? In some cases, like Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela in Invictus, they go hand in hand. Other times it’s not important to get the right look, just the most moving performance. But with a woman like Monroe, who is remembered for her appearance, it seems especially crucial to find an actress bearing some resemblance.
Williams is unquestionably talented but thin and lacking the outward sex appeal of Monroe. Again, ScarJo seemed perfect for the part, in my opinion. Do you think Williams is the best choice to play Marilyn? If not, who should it be instead?
