Marilyn Monroe Miller Handwritten Actors Studio Working Note
This handwritten pencil note was written by Marilyn Monroe on stationery monogrammed “MMM,” representing Marilyn Monroe Miller, a name she occasionally used during her marriage to Arthur Miller between 1956 and 1961.
The brief text appears to be written in the first person and outlines a character background, referencing educated parents, a father who studied law, and a mother who had been a dancer in Europe. Several words and lines are crossed out, indicating Monroe was revising the wording as she wrote.
The structure and conversational tone suggest the page was likely used as part of acting preparation. During this period Monroe was studying method acting at the Actors Studio under the guidance of Lee Strasberg, where actors frequently developed character backgrounds and worked through dialogue while rehearsing dramatic scenes.
Working notes such as this provide insight into Monroe’s process as an actress and reflect the period when she was deeply engaged in dramatic training and performance study.
Collector’s Note
This small sheet of paper offers a fascinating glimpse into Marilyn Monroe’s serious commitment to acting. Written in pencil on stationery monogrammed “MMM” for Marilyn Monroe Miller, the note dates from the years following her 1956 marriage to Arthur Miller, when she was deeply immersed in studying dramatic performance in New York.
During this period Marilyn devoted herself to method acting at the Actors Studio under Lee Strasberg. Students there were often encouraged to write character backgrounds and improvise dialogue in order to better understand the psychology and history of a role. The structure of this note, written in the first person and outlining details about a character’s upbringing, strongly suggests it was part of that type of acting preparation.
What makes artifacts like this so compelling is that they reveal a side of Marilyn that is often overlooked. While the world remembers the glamorous movie star, Marilyn herself was intensely focused on developing as a serious actress. Notes like this show her working through ideas, revising phrases, and shaping the inner life of a character.
For collectors and historians, documents such as this are invaluable because they capture Marilyn in the process of creating, studying, and striving to improve her craft.
Scott Fortner
Marilyn Monroe Collection
Founder & Owner
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