Bruce Dern goes down memory lane, walking Marilyn Monroe home in rain

Bruce Dern had a momentous encounter with Marilyn Monroe years ago on a rainy night, which he still remembers after decades.

On May 20, during his appearance at the Cannes Film Festival for the screening of the new documentary Dernsie: The Amazing LifeBruce Dern walked down memory lane.

“It’s raining outside. I’m at The Actors Studio. I come out of The Actors Studio, and it’s drizzling and Marilyn is there because Lee Strasberg allowed her to come and watch what we were doing,” he recalled.

In the midst of that, Monroe said, “You know the movie you’re going to do now? I can’t do because my dumb husband wrote this dumb cowboy script I have to do, so I can’t do it.”

The silver screen legend appeared to be referring to The Misfitsher final completed feature, which was penned by her then-husband Arthur Miller and co-starred Clark Gable. Because Monroe remained committed to that project, Dern said Lee Remick was ultimately cast opposite him in Wild River.

“It’s drizzling and there’s no cabs going by 44th Street and way over near 10th Avenue,” the actor added. “And she said, ‘Would you walk me across town?’ to where she lived on Gracie Square.”

Dern offered her to take a cab, but she wanted to walk in the rain, so he walked her. Walking all the way across the town, they covered three-quarters of a mile and reached Sutton Place.

He recalled that as they approached Sutton Place, where Monroe lived at the time, a taxi emerged from the street while a woman was seen running after it.

The woman rushed past them just a few feet away, and although she appeared hurried, Dern noted that she clearly noticed them before getting into the car.

He recalled turning to Monroe, who asked, “Bruce, Bruce, don’t you know who that was?”

Dern admitted he didn’t recognise the agitated passer-by, before Monroe revealed, “Bruce, that was Greta Garbo. And she didn’t know who I was.”

“And I said, ‘You know what, Marilyn? I think she shined you on. She probably knew who you were.’ She said, ‘Those women don’t recognize Marilyn Monroe because they were stylists.’ And I guess you would call her kind of a stylist.”