What are the best Marilyn Monroe movie performances?

Beloved for her radiant comedic timing in Some Like It Hot and her surprising dramatic depth in Bus Stop and The Misfits, Marilyn Monroe remains one of Hollywood's most iconic and endlessly fascinating performers. Which is her greatest?

1

Some Like It Hot

As the sweet, oblivious Sugar Kane in Billy Wilder's classic comedy, Monroe delivered her most beloved performance — winning a Golden Globe — proving herself one of cinema's greatest comediennes.

2

The Misfits

Monroe's final completed film, with a role written for her by Arthur Miller, showed her dramatic depth as Roslyn, a sensitive divorcée caught among drifting cowboys in the Nevada desert.

3

Bus Stop

Hailed as her breakthrough dramatic performance, Monroe's portrayal of saloon singer Chérie — studied using Method acting — combined Southern vulnerability with surprising emotional complexity.

4

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

Monroe's iconic performance as the gold-digging but good-hearted Lorelei Lee, including the legendary 'Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend' number, established her as Hollywood's supreme blonde bombshell.

5

The Seven Year Itch

Monroe's breezy, self-aware performance as 'The Girl' — including the legendary subway grate scene — is one of cinema's most recognizable images and demonstrates her perfect comic timing.

6

How to Marry a Millionaire

Playing the endearingly near-sighted Pola alongside Betty Grable and Lauren Bacall, Monroe delivered effortlessly funny, charming work that made audiences love her natural comic persona.

7

Don't Bother to Knock

A rare dramatic showcase for Monroe, who played a disturbed babysitter teetering on the edge of breakdown — a performance far darker than her usual comedic roles and surprisingly restrained.

8

Niagara

Playing a scheming femme fatale plotting her husband's murder, Monroe proved she could command the screen as a dangerous villain and revealed an intensity that surprised critics of the time.

9

All About Eve

In a brief but unforgettable early appearance as the aspiring actress Miss Caswell, Monroe stole scenes opposite Bette Davis and demonstrated the star power that would soon make her a legend.

10

River of No Return

Monroe held her own against Robert Mitchum in this rugged western adventure, delivering a gutsy and charismatic performance while also performing her own musical numbers memorably.

11

There's No Business Like Show Business

Though a supporting role in a star-studded musical, Monroe's electric musical numbers — including a charged version of 'Heat Wave' — outshone much of the film.

12

Let's Make Love

As actress Amanda Dell pursued by a billionaire who poses as an actor, Monroe brought warm sensuality and playful charm to this musical romantic comedy opposite Yves Montand.

13

Monkey Business

In Howard Hawks' screwball comedy about a youth serum, Monroe played the perfectly ditzy secretary with hilarious timing, showing her natural gift for physical and verbal comedy.