Marilyn Monroe‘s final interview with Life magazine editor Richard Meryman is set to be published for the first time in its entirety in the upcoming book “Marilyn: The Lost Photographs, The Last Interview,” which also includes never-before-seen images from her final photo shoot with photographer Allan Grant. The interview ran in print on Aug. 3, 1962. Monroe died the following evening of a barbiturate overdose. Her death was ruled a probable suicide.
In her final interview, excerpts from which are available on People’s website, Monroe spoke frankly about her status as an international sex symbol. The 36-year-old icon embraced the title and even wanted to act in more explicit scenes in movies.
“I’m going to be a symbol of something, so I’d rather have it be sex than some of the other things they’ve got symbols of,” Monroe told Meryman. “I think that sexuality is only attractive when it’s natural and spontaneous. I’ve never acted consciously from a sexual viewpoint.”
“First of all, I’ve never had an erotic scene,” she added. “I’ve always wanted to test it out and see if I could do it. We are all born sexual creatures, thank god. It’s a pity so many people despise and crush this natural gift. Because art, real art, comes from it.”
The interview is being published in its entirety just ahead of Monroe’s 100th birthday on June 1. She also told Maryman that she viewed fame just as she did caviar because “it’s good to have caviar, but if you had it every damn day, you know? Too much caviar.”
“The time I came out of the hospital in New York [in 1961], that was a little rough because I had just had a gallbladder operation and the crowds were pushing and my side opened up,” Monroe continued. “I realized that people want to see that you’re real. I never felt I had an effect on people until I was in Korea [in 1954]. There would be 75,000 men sitting in their parkas in the snow, and when I’d come out, they’d whistle and call out my name for 10 minutes before I could even get started.”
“Marilyn: The Lost Photographs, The Last Interview” publishes May 12.
