The Marilyn in Me...the last 1/2 of my life so far!

Being Marilyn

My Headshot (my Norma Jeane phase)

     So people ask me all the time, "How did you become Marilyn Monroe!" Well, it goes way back to when I was little and all these guys would lean down to me and say, "Do you know that your mother looks like Marilyn Monroe!?" Well, at the time, I didn't even know who she was, but my mom looked like her - she must be beautiful!

     As the years went by and I was living in my passion of performing and singing, I was working at Disney World and Universal Studios came to Florida, putting a big ad in the paper  looking for look-alikes with Marilyn, of course, being one of them. I told my husband at the time that I thought I could be Marilyn! I don't think he believed me, but I think that made me even more determined! I went and bought pictures of Marilyn and taped them to our bathroom mirror. I bought a blonde wig and wore this really fun white dress I had with fringe! I was so committed to looking like Marilyn and I did catch their attention with my look! I even made the newspaper with some other gals wanting to be Marilyn! It's in a box somewhere - before everything was digital! :D

Performing with "Elvis"

     At the audition, they asked,  "Wow, you look great, but do you know anything about Marilyn Monroe?" Woah, I hadn't thought this all the way through. "Uh, well, I know she was a sex symbol and she sang Happy Birthday Mr. President to JFK."  They laughed. "Well, we need you to know a little more than that! At Universal Studios, you will be walking the streets, meeting everyone, and we want guests to feel like they are really meeting Marilyn Monroe. There will be fans of hers that will know a lot about her and you need to know how to respond to them so they feel like they are meeting the real thing! We love your look and would love to have you study her and come back in a month and re-audition."

     Yea! So I totally immersed myself into Marilyn Monroe! Every day, I watched a movie with her in it and I read books about her life and worked on speaking like her. One of the best lessons the gentlemen at the audition shared was to get the "essence" of Marilyn - that this was the most important part. So my mirror got some more work out - speaking and moving my lips the way she did. I learned that she was self conscious about her teeth from something an agent once said to her, so it made sense why she moved her lips the way she did, trying to hide her teeth! Poor thing! She was so self conscious. But she was determined to not let anything get in her way of becoming a movie star! (I told you - I immersed myself!) I drove my ex-husband crazy (still not believing in me - thus the ex attachment) with my new Marilyn obsession. Another great lesson learned: I became, like her, determined to make this happen and worked tirelessly at it to achieve it! What a gift! :D

Me & friends in the Universal Studios - Florida souvenir book

     So the big day comes and I audition and the one question that I remember them asking me was, "What is your favorite present that you ever received?" So I answered with the first thing that came into my head. "I remember one Christmas getting an orange from my foster family and I carried that orange around all day with me - it was so special to me." They stopped and asked, "Did that really happen?" I replied, "Yes!," and they said, "Okay, don't go that deep! We want the happy, effervescent Marilyn - the one that everyone perceives from the screen." I learned my second great lesson from them. People want happy - they want to be entertained and have a good time. Brilliant - it has helped me to be a true entertainer all these years!

At an event with the Rotel's Hot Tomatoes & members of Jerry Lee Lewis' band

     I got the part and have been being Marilyn for 20+ years! It is the greatest blessing! I have done hundreds of fun parties and events and met thousands of amazing people. It is so energizing to constantly meet new people! I get to do what I love: sing and make people happy! What an amazing thing to get to make people feel really special when Marilyn sings, "Happy Birthday Mr. President!" I was even the featured picture in People magazine with the review for the show, The Next Best Thing! Talk about a great week: I got remarried (to a man who really believes in me) on 7/7/07, honeymooned in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico and had my picture in People magazine. Maybe we should have gone to Vegas!

The article in People - Check out their caption - Ha! :D

     To date, I have outlived Marilyn almost 12 years and my secret is taking care of my health - my job depends on it! I am currently writing a book to share the Marilyn I have come to know over the years and insights that I have learned through Being Marilyn - my title. It has been such a great gift to represent her and I want to share the lessons I learned along the way that have shaped me into the woman I am today - even without my blonde wig and white halter dress, I still can hold a room! I want to share these insights with other women and share the beautiful, misunderstood, witty, woman that Marilyn Monroe was that most don't know! I will also share Tips to Try at the end of each chapter to help women come outside their comfort zone and be their best self - confident and free to be sexy, vibrant and everything that was fun about Marilyn! Life is to be enjoyed - we all take ourselves a little too seriously, like me and my answer of an orange - as my favorite present!? What was I thinking!?

Pic from a birthday party - one of my favorites!

with the fabulous David Born as "Robin Williams"

  Live, Laugh & Love 

Notice,

in all 

these 

Marilyn

pics, 

I am

smiling!

SMILE!

It makes you very attractive!

     So years ago, I threw out the idea of writing this book, and I have been saying that I am doing it for years. I went to a mastermind meeting yesterday and got inspired! Be bold & Step through Fear is my takeaway from this meeting! (I highly suggest getting into a Mastermind group - We are the average of the 5 people we hang out with!) Marilyn stepped out of her comfort zone and once again, so shall I - look for my book - coming soon! Wait, I have to really declare it. Thanks Kerry Sheppard. Okay, here it goes. Coming February 14th, 2015! What a great Valentine's present! Wish me luck! :D

For more pictures, video & booking information, please go to 

http://www.gigmasters.com/Magic/Marilyn-More