Just days before her passing, Marilyn Monroe gave what would be her final interview, candidly discussing the downsides of fame and stardom. She recalled a harrowing incident where fans caused one of her surgical wounds to reopen, leaving her severely injured.
Marilyn Monroe's Thoughts on Stardom's Effect on Her Life
In 1962, Monroe sat down for an interview with Life magazine. During the conversation, the actress opened up about fame and the glitz and glamour, noting how it loses its appeal over time. She compared it to caviar, saying, "It's good to have caviar, but if you had it every damn day, you know? Too much caviar." Details of the interview were published in the book Marilyn: The Lost Photographs, The Last Interview on May 12.
She also spoke about the perils of stardom, citing incidents that deeply frightened her. Recalling one such event, Monroe revealed that a crowd of fans mobbed her after she left the hospital following gallbladder surgery. She stated, "The time I came out of the hospital in New York, that was a little rough because I had just had a gallbladder operation, and the crowds were pushing and my side opened up."
Marilyn Monroe on How the Hollywood Life Scared Her
Further in the interview, Monroe commented that the "Hollywood life" was not for her and that it frightened her. She added, "I've been invited places to sort of kind of brighten up a dinner table. You're not really invited for yourself sometimes. That's why I don't really get involved in the so-called Hollywood life, you know? It doesn't interest me. People, I like. The public scares me; mobs scare me."
Monroe passed away two days after the interview was conducted. She was found unresponsive at her Los Angeles home, with the case ruled a probable suicide. The actress died from acute barbiturate poisoning at the age of 36.
