‘The original triple threat’: two exhibitions celebrate Marilyn Monroe as creative pioneer | Marilyn Monroe

While Marilyn Monroe has often been reduced to a sex symbol frozen in time or a tragic figure at the center of many scandals, it was something much more subversive, according to two exhibitions that heralded what was called the “summer of Marilyn.”

To mark the centenary of her birth, Monroe is being celebrated by leading British cultural institutions as an actress with a sharp sense of humour, a shrewd architect of her own image and a woman who reshaped the possibilities of female stardom on the big screen.

A thrilling two-month season at the British Film Institute (BFI) A landmark exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery will revisit his filmography while charting the construction of his image.

“Marilyn Monroe was quite possibly the greatest star cinema has ever seen or will ever see,” said Kimberley Sheehan, chief programmer at the BFI, which curated the season. “He was the original triple threat and deserves great credit for creating his own image and stardom.”

Marilyn Monroe: Self Made Star opens June 1 and runs through the end of July, bringing together Monroe’s most famous performances in three parts: Star Attractions (musicals and comedies), Dramatic Turns (serious roles), and Scene Stealers (smaller but significant appearances).

“I hope audiences begin to discover or rediscover the heartbreaking depth of The Misfits, as well as the dynamite presence she brought to films like Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and How to Marry a Millionaire,” said Sheehan. “Even smaller roles reveal the range and nuance she has, with scene-stealing turns in Clash by Night and All About Eve.”

From her first major role in Lady of the Chorus (1948) to her final, unfinished project, Something’s Got To Give (1962), Monroe worked with some of Hollywood’s biggest directors and screen talents, building a career that alternated between spirited comedy and increasingly complex dramatic work.

The BFI said the season invited viewers to look beyond the myth and re-evaluate Monroe as a pioneering creative force: a dynamic artist who challenged the studio system, protested poor quality scripts and became the first woman since the silent era to launch her own production company.

Central to the celebration is the re-release of Monroe’s last completed film, The Misfits (1961), in cinemas in the UK and Ireland by BFI Distribution. Directed by John Huston and written by Monroe’s then-husband Arthur Miller, the film tells the story of stray cowboys and deteriorating relationships in the Nevada desert. Monroe stars opposite Clark Gable as a newly divorced woman who falls in love with a disappointed cowboy.

Monroe’s cultural saturation often overshadowed her work, Sheehan said. “For many viewers, Monroe is an icon first and an artist second,” he said. “They will know the footage, the gossip, the tragedy, but they may not know the movies.

“I think it’s really important to revisit these, especially now, in a time when his image is endlessly commoditized, even used as one of the most common manipulations in AI-generated images. When you go back to the movies, you see the real actor.”

Meanwhile, Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait runs from June to September at the National Portrait Gallery and brings together works by some of the most famous artists and photographers of the 20th and 21st centuries, including Andy Warhol, Pauline Boty and Richard Avedon.

The exhibition explores Monroe’s role in creating her own image and her lasting impact on visual culture. Also included are never-before-seen photos from Life magazine; Intimate portraits taken by Allan Grant at Monroe’s Brentwood, Los Angeles home the day before her death in August 1962.

Born on June 1, 1926, Monroe remains a defining presence in popular culture. From her first pin-up photos as a young model named Norma Jeane to her last photos taken in 1962, she was one of the most photographed people in the world.

The exhibition highlights his collaborative approach and creative control in image-making; not only does he perform on camera, but he also directs shoots and vetoes footage he doesn’t like.

“One of the biggest things she ever did was create the ‘Marilyn Monroe’ persona,” Sheehan said, “but that was also one of her biggest challenges, because she spent much of her later career trying to break away from that. She wanted to reinvent herself—something that hadn’t been done in the 1950s.”

Making a comparison with contemporary stars, he continued: “There are names like Taylor Swift who are having their own time now, or Madonna who is pioneering reinvention. Marilyn tried this when she started her production company, but people didn’t understand it, they made fun of her.”

“We’ve come a long way, but we still have a long way to go,” Sheehan added. “If Marilyn were around today, she could be Margot Robbie; someone with a lot of capital in her image, but also a terrific actress and a smart, active producer. I’d like to think she would have had a better chance if she had lived longer.”