The One Actor Marilyn Monroe Was Terrified of: “All Right, Where’s the Blonde?”

Marilyn Monroe is one of Hollywood’s most enduring icons—the platinum blonde bombshell immortalized in the image of her white dress billowing over a subway grate, or Andy Warhol’s famous pop art portraits capturing her star power. Yet behind that glamorous persona was a woman plagued by insecurities and stage fright, especially when facing certain co-stars.

Monroe’s rise from a factory worker to global superstar was meteoric. After early roles in The Asphalt Jungle, All About Eve, and Niagara, she skyrocketed to fame with Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), where her performance of “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend” in a pink dress became iconic. Still, despite her success in films like How to Marry a Millionaire, There’s No Business Like Show Business, and The Seven Year Itch, Monroe was often nervous and self-critical.

Her co-star Mitzi Gaynor once revealed to The Los Angeles Times that Monroe “never saw anybody work so hard,” but that insecurities were always present. Gaynor described the film set as a “nest of vipers,” highlighting the tense dynamics among the cast.

One person who seemed to unnerve Monroe the most was musical theatre legend Ethel Merman. Known for her powerhouse voice and commanding stage presence, Merman was an established star with multiple Tony Awards and decades of experience dating back to the 1930s. Monroe’s frequent tardiness when working with Merman reflected the actress’s nervousness around her. Gaynor recalled Merman saying, “All right, where’s the blond?” a phrase suggesting impatience or even disdain for Monroe’s anxious demeanor.

Merman’s deep familiarity with the musical numbers and her seasoned knowledge of show business overshadowed Monroe’s relatively fresh experience in musical films. The veteran star seemed confident and perhaps frustrated by Monroe’s vulnerability.

Richard Widmark, who worked with Monroe, offered further insight into her struggles, calling her “a vulnerable kid” and “murder to work with” because she was “scared to death of acting—even when she became a big movie actress.” Widmark noted the difficulty of coaxing her out of the dressing room, saying, “When it was five o’clock, it got irritating.”

These revelations reveal a side of Monroe rarely seen by the public: a woman wrestling with fear and self-doubt while surrounded by tough, seasoned performers. It was this contrast—between Monroe’s fragile confidence and the brash certainty of stars like Ethel Merman—that added a complex layer to her journey toward becoming a Hollywood legend.