At 93, legendary actress Ellen Burstyn has taken on a role that initially seemed improbable: portraying Marilyn Monroe at the age of 100. The project, a 17-minute short film titled “Flesh Impact,” emerged after director Maggie Gyllenhaal visited Burstyn’s home to propose the concept. Burstyn admitted the idea struck her as compelling, noting, “It sounded like a good idea to me.” The film held its world premiere this past Monday at the Venice Film Festival, an event that also saw Burstyn honored with a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.
Though Burstyn never personally knew Monroe, who passed away at 36, their lives intersected through a shared massage therapist. This individual, who often shared stories about the late icon, once lent Burstyn a book from Monroe’s personal collection titled “The Thinking Body,” which still contained original receipts. Burstyn recalled a brief, singular encounter with Monroe at a nightclub early in her own career, where she felt a profound sense of recognition when the star caught her eye. She observed that Monroe was a master of her own public image, stating, “I knew that she was not what she presented as her persona and that actually that’s a persona that she created.”
The genesis of the film was unconventional, stemming from a collaboration between luxury automaker Genesis and Gyllenhaal, who was tasked with creating a project centered on what would have been Monroe’s 100th birthday in June. Gyllenhaal envisioned a scene of extreme vulnerability: an elderly Monroe auditioning alone on a stage. Burstyn was her immediate choice for the role, as the two found a shared creative language and a mutual desire to explore the depth of human experience. Burstyn noted that their collaboration was rooted in a commitment to authenticity, emphasizing that they wanted to approach the work from a place of genuine revelation.
Reflecting on her industry tenure, Burstyn observed that the presence of women on film sets has shifted dramatically since she began her career over 50 years ago. She recalled a time when women were virtually absent from behind-the-camera roles, a reality that has slowly evolved over the decades. Currently, the actress is also appearing in the feature film “Place to Be,” directed by Kornél Mundruczó and co-starring Taika Waititi, which is also screening at the festival. Despite her extensive resume—which includes an Oscar for “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” a Tony Award, and two Emmys—Burstyn admitted to feeling slightly overwhelmed by the recent accolades.
“I have been asking myself, why do I deserve this? What have I done? It’s a long career,” she remarked during a press conference. She credited her rigorous training as the foundation for her success, a craft she continues to pass on as a co-president of The Actors Studio and occasional teacher, carrying forward the legacy of her mentor, Lee Strasberg. Her contributions to the field were lauded by festival director Alberto Barbera, who praised her artistry for its ability to illuminate pain and resilience with “dignity, irony and courage,” calling her an absolute model of authenticity in performance. The report also notes that but then one day Maggie Gyllenhaal came to her apartment to talk about a wild idea: What if she played Monroe at 100. The report also notes that who died at 36, there was overlap, though Burstyn never met Monroe. The report also notes that and the fact that she recognized me, I just felt so honored and pleased.”. The report also notes that and landed on Marilyn, at 100, “doing basically the most vulnerable, one of the most vulnerable things I think an actor can do, which is audition, alone on a stage.”, gyllenhaal asked for a weekend to think about it. The report also notes that “We are interested in the depth of what’s being revealed.
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