‘The Killing of Marilyn Monroe’ Episode 3 Reveals the Star Was Fired by Every Major Studio Before Her Big Break

It’s not easy to get your start in Hollywood, even for a bombshell like Marilyn Monroe. In episode 3 of “The Killing of Marilyn Monroe,” the podcast takes us back to the star’s humble beginnings in the industry and a serious string of failures. Before she became the massive star that we remember her as today — and before her career reached its inevitable downturn — she was just another pretty young face trying to make it into movies. Yet, still, there was always something special about the star.

In the new episode, Us Weekly correspondent and host Jackie Miranne puts words to the “magic” that Marilyn exuded. She had a special aura about her, but a much darker side of the celebrity lurked beneath the surface. “Call it a psychotic side to a desperate personality if you like,” Jackie says. “Call it a schizophrenic, manic depressive manifestation of glamor.”

That glamor, as messy as it may have been, got her noticed — but it didn’t always get her hired. The show explores how the blonde bombshell was dumped by all of the major studios before she ever landed a part. Despite playing along with the exploitation that was the casting couch game, she had trouble taking her career further. On the rare occasion that she did try to refuse — like by name dropping a studio president’s wife while making plans with him — it hurt her chances even more.

Episode 2 of the podcast chronicled the star’s relationships with men, and the next part of the series takes that topic even further as it explores how she interacted with men outside of her personal life. Who held her back before she hit it big? Who ultimately propelled her meteoric rise to fame? The third installment of the podcast explores the star’s metamorphosis from girl-next-door Norma Jeane Mortenson to Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe.

Over 12 riveting installments, “The Killing of Marilyn Monroe” seeks to explain exactly what happened on the night of August 4, 1962, and why Marilyn’s death may not have been a suicide after all. The series explores who knew what about it — and why her killer was never brought to justice.

“The Killing of Marilyn Monroe,” from the creators of “Fatal Voyage: The Mysterious Death of Natalie Wood,” premiered on August 19 and new episodes are released every Monday. Download and stream everywhere podcasts are available.