| Genre: | Drama Biopic |
| Teleplay: | Stephen Kronish |
| Director: | Laurie Collyer |
| Starring: | Kelli Garner Susan Sarandon Emily Watson Jeffrey Dean Morgan |
| Composer: | David Carbonara |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Num Episodes: | 2 |
| Executive Producer: | Stephen Kronish Damien Ganczewski Keri Selig Jonathan Koch Steven Michaels |
| Producer: | Joseph Boccia Don Carmody David Cormican |
| Editor: | Ron Wisman Ron Wisman Jr. |
| Location: | Ontario, Canada |
| Cinematography: | Christopher Manley |
| Runtime: | 84 minutes |
| Company: | Intuition Productions Asylum Entertainment |
| Channel: | Lifetime |
The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe is a 2015 American biographical drama miniseries on Marilyn Monroe. It stars Kelli Garner, Susan Sarandon, Emily Watson, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Eva Amurri Martino and was first aired on Lifetime on May 30 and 31, 2015. The (two-hour forty-seven minute) miniseries is based on The New York Times bestseller of the same name by J. Randy Taraborrelli. It was nominated for three Creative Arts Emmy Awards.[1]
A chronicle of Marilyn Monroe's family life, her relationship with her mother, Gladys Pearl Baker, and how she succeeded in hiding her most intimate secrets from the press and an invasive world.
The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe garnered mixed reviews. Keith Ulrich of The Hollywood Reporter writes, "There's little that's surprising or inspired in Lifetime's two-part miniseries about iconic Hollywood celebrity Marilyn Monroe."[2] While, Brian Lowry of Variety writes, "What sets this latest rehash of the star's existence apart, marginally, is a knockout performance by Kelli Garner and, to a lesser degree, Susan Sarandon's turn as her mentally disturbed mother."[3] A positive review by Jordan Appugliesi of US Weekly states, "Surprise! It's Actually Good."[4] On Rotten Tomatoes the series has an approval of 55% based on 11 reviews with an average rating of 6/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Offering few revelations, The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe treads the same well-worn path as many other Monroe biopics, despite an admirable performance by Kelli Garner". On Metacritic, the series has a score of 55 out of 100 based on 12 critics, indicating "mixed or average".
| Association | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or Movie | Chris Manley | |||
| Outstanding Hairstyling for a Limited Series or a Movie | Cliona Furey Cathy Shibley Jacqueline Robertson Cull Vincent Sullivan | ||||
| Outstanding Makeup for a Limited Series or a Movie (Non-Prosthetic) | Jordan Samuel Patricia Keighran Susan Reilly LeHane | ||||
| Directors Guild of America | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Miniseries | Laurie Collyer | |||
| Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Actress in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Kelli Garner | [5] | ||
| Prism Awards | Best Actress in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Kelli Garner | |||
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries | Susan Sarandon |