Update: This post was originally published on April 17th, 2015.
Lifetime is focusing on the story of yet another celebrity. Following Elizabeth Taylor, Anna Nicole Smith, Donatella Versace, Aaliyah and Whitney Houston, the network feels it's now time to chronicle the colorful life of Marilyn Monroe through their upcoming TV miniseries, The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe. Since her death in 1962, several films have been based on the life of the legendary star, such as Marilyn: The Untold Story (1980) or 2011's My Week With Marilyn, which won Michelle Williams a Golden Globe and an Oscar nod for her portrayal of the bombshell. Additionally, several celebrities like Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Kidman and Anna Nicole Smith, have posed for Marilyn-inspired, vintage-glamour photo shoots. To put it simply, Monroe is an icon whose life is still revered.
Now, it's Kelli Garner's turn. It's evident — between estranged relationships, heartbreak, dreams and stardom — that Monroe did not have the easiest life. Although, what celebrity ever does?
Susan Sarandon, Emily Watson and Jeffrey Dean Morgan are also a part of the cast. Between the title and a tagline — "Everyone knew her name, no one knew her secrets" — the series looks to focus on the darker aspects of Monroe's life that the public was unable to see, such as her strained relationship with her mother. That tends to be the goal, albeit never fully achieved, of all of Lifetime's similar biopics. Perhaps this one will truly delve into the childhood struggles that made Marilyn the complicated woman she grew into. We hope so, at least.
The miniseries airs on May 30 & 31 at 8/7c.