At 93, Ellen Burstyn Embraces a Century-Old Marilyn Monroe in Venice

VENICE, Italy — Ellen Burstyn, at 93, has played many roles, but none quite like Marilyn Monroe at age 100. The idea came from actor-director Maggie Gyllenhaal, who visited Burstyn's apartment with an unusual proposal: a short film in which Monroe, who died at 36, auditions alone on a stage a century after her birth.

"It sounded like a good idea to me," Burstyn said. The result, "Flesh Impact," premieres Monday at the Venice Film Festival, where Burstyn is also receiving a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.

Burstyn never met Monroe, but their paths crossed indirectly. They shared a massage therapist who told stories about Monroe and lent Burstyn a book from Monroe's library, "The Thinking Body," which still contained personal mementos like old receipts. Burstyn understood that Monroe's public persona was a deliberate creation. "She created the whole concept of Marilyn Monroe and played it," Burstyn said.

Once, early in Burstyn's career, she saw Monroe in a nightclub. Monroe caught her eye and nodded. "She was so startlingly beautiful... I felt that she recognized me," Burstyn recalled. "I just felt so honored and pleased."

The short film came about through an unusual route: luxury carmaker Genesis approached Gyllenhaal to create something marking what would have been Monroe's 100th birthday in June. Gyllenhaal imagined Monroe at 100 doing "the most vulnerable thing an actor can do — audition, alone on a stage." Burstyn was her first choice.

Gyllenhaal sensed the role might let Burstyn "think about things in a new way." The two discovered a shared approach to acting. "We are interested in the depth of what's being revealed," Burstyn said.

Burstyn's career choices remain guided by a simple instinct: she wants to be moved or challenged. But the set of "Flesh Impact," populated largely by women, contrasts sharply with her early days. "When I first started working, which was 150 years ago, there were no women on the set," she said at a news conference. "If a woman was on set, that meant she was an actress." She credited the late Gloria Steinem for slowly changing that consciousness.

Burstyn is also appearing in Kornél Mundruczó's feature "Place to Be" with Taika Waititi at the festival. She admitted to feeling "slightly overwhelmed" by the honor, asking herself, "Why do I deserve this?" She concluded that her long career would not have been possible without her training.

That modesty belies a remarkable resume: an Oscar for "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore," a Tony, two Emmys, and more than 150 films over five decades. She currently serves as co-president of The Actors Studio and occasionally teaches acting, continuing the legacy of her mentor Lee Strasberg.

Festival director Alberto Barbera praised her artistry, saying it "illuminates pain and everyday resilience with dignity, irony and courage." Dressed in a gown for the ceremony, Burstyn wondered if it was too much. Gyllenhaal assured her it was not. "This was her day."

"I'm just really very happy to be here and very grateful to receive this award," Burstyn said, "and grateful to this lady who put me in this interesting and deep and funny and wonderful movie."