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Study of Marilyn Monroe's hollywood star system and acting methods

This study analyzes how Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962), the iconic figure representing 1950s Hollywood, was constructed within the Hollywood star system while simultaneously striving to develop as a serious artist through Method Acting. Although Monroe was imprinted in the public consciousness as a sex symbol embodying the "dumb blonde" image created by the 20th Century Fox studio system, she actually made earnest efforts to transform herself into a serious dramatic actress by receiving systematic acting training from Lee Strasberg and Michael Chekhov at the Actors Studio. The research demonstrates that Monroe's case represents a paradigmatic example of how the 1950s Hollywood star system artificially reconstructed actors' identities and commodified them as products. Her transformation from Norma Jeane Mortenson to Marilyn Monroe involved not merely a name change but the complete creation of a persona that balanced conservative social values with emerging sexual liberation attitudes of the era. However, Monroe actively resisted this system by becoming the first actress to establish an independent production company (Marilyn Monroe Productions) in 1955 and renegotiating her contract terms with 20th Century Fox, marking a revolutionary attempt to position actors as creative partners rather than mere employees. Monroe's Method Acting training, beginning with Michael Chekhov and culminating at Lee Strasberg's Actors Studio, symbolizes the paradigmatic shift in 1950s American acting. Through films such as "Bus Stop," "The Prince and the Showgirl," and "Some Like It Hot," she demonstrated exceptional acting ability. However, the emotional demands of Method Acting, particularly its reliance on emotional memory, exacerbated her already unstable psychological condition, ultimately contributing to her tragic early death.