But I wouldn't bet on it. Although Monroe died of an overdose of barbiturates at the age of 36, in 1962, the world's most famous actress remains an extraordinary pop culture icon, even more so today than in her lifetime. There have been operas about her, plays, documentaries, websites, songs and countless imitators. One of the latest Monroe books, Joyce Carol Oates's Blonde , a fictional depiction of the actress' sad life, has been turned into a four-hour miniseries. Were she alive today she would not look so hot, she would not be very interesting.
Legends die young.
Look at James Dean. Look at Jean Harlow and Rudolph Valentino. They were cut down at the top of their beauty. And they hadn't begun the downward slide. I mean, Marlon Brando looks terrible and appears in crummy movies now.