How Marilyn Monroe Nearly Made Director Billy Wilder Quit Hollywood: “I Wanted to Give Up”

Marilyn Monroe remains one of Hollywood’s most enduring icons — her image immortalized in scenes like the white skirt billowing over a subway grate or her glamorous pink dress in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Yet behind the glitz and glamour of her celebrated career lay a complex and often painful struggle that affected not only Monroe herself but those who worked closely with her.

Among those was legendary director Billy Wilder, renowned for his sharp wit and masterful storytelling in classics such as The Apartment, Sunset Boulevard, Double Indemnity, and Some Like It Hot. Wilder’s contributions helped define the Golden Era of Hollywood and the screwball comedy genre. However, his collaborations with Monroe, including The Seven Year Itch and Some Like It Hot, proved so challenging that they nearly drove him away from filmmaking altogether.

A Difficult Working Relationship

Wilder, despite his admiration for Monroe’s star power and talent, was candid about the toll their professional relationship took on him. “I worked on two pictures with her and wanted to give up the profession,” he revealed. He recalled how his wife and even three doctors urged him never to work with Monroe again.

According to Wilder, Monroe struggled profoundly with the demands of filming. “She was a most difficult woman. It was not easy for her to get in front of a camera, while suffering from dementia praecox or whatever,” he said, referring to the mental health struggles she endured. Wilder described how Monroe often couldn’t remember a single line, breaking down in tears whenever she misread one. The delays were significant; after each emotional moment, it could take 45 minutes to an hour to reapply her makeup before filming could resume.

The Hidden Struggles Behind the Scenes

While Wilder’s frustration is understandable given the pressures of film production, today we recognize that Monroe’s difficulties were rooted in a toxic Hollywood system that treated her more as a commodity than as a complex artist. Constant media scrutiny, manipulative studio contracts, and a relentless expectation to fit the “dumb blonde” stereotype crushed Monroe’s spirit and undermined her confidence.

Despite her immense success and groundbreaking roles in Some Like It Hot, All About Eve, and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Monroe fought tirelessly to be taken seriously as an actress and a producer. She founded her own production company in defiance of studio heads who refused to respect her talents or grant her creative control.

Reevaluating an Icon

Wilder’s harsh assessment reflects the fraught reality of working with Monroe during her most vulnerable times. Yet with the benefit of hindsight, it’s clear that her struggles were emblematic of broader injustices faced by women in Hollywood — particularly those who dared to challenge their typecasting.

Though Wilder once wanted to “give up the profession” after working with Monroe, the actress’s legacy has only grown stronger. She remains a symbol of resilience, complexity, and the enduring fight for recognition beyond surface glamour.

Marilyn Monroe’s impact on Hollywood and popular culture is undeniable. But her story — and those of the filmmakers who worked with her — remind us of the human cost behind the legend, and the courage it took to shine amid overwhelming pressures.