The 'Girl's Next Door' alum said some of her favorite Monroe films include 'Bus Stop,' 'How to Marry a Millionaire' and 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'
Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty; Baron/Hulton Archive/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Holly Madison told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview that she grew up loving Marilyn Monroe thanks to a beloved toy she had as a child
- The Girl’s Next Door alum said some of her favorite Monroe films include Bus Stop, How to Marry a Millionaire and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
- Monroe, who died from an overdose in 1962, would’ve celebrated her 100th birthday on June 1
Holly Madison "grew up loving" Marilyn Monroe.
Speaking with PEOPLE during an event celebrating Monroe's 100th birthday at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles on June 1, Madison, 46, said touring the Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon exhibit brought back memories of her childhood and when her love for the late starlet began.
"I grew up loving this set of Marilyn Monroe paper dolls, so to see all those outfits in real life, I'm so excited," she told PEOPLE. "It's a beautiful event."
Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty
Along with her set of paper dolls, Madison said she was equally in love with Monroe's filmography, and watching her onscreen feels like visiting an "old friend."
As for her favorite Monroe films? Madison said: "It does kind of change. It's either between Bus Stop, How to Marry a Millionaire and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Those are my top three."
According to Madison, there are a lot of things she loves about Monroe, who died from an overdose in 1962. (She would've celebrated her 100th birthday on June 1.)
"Marilyn's so glamorous, but I think I just love how she tried so hard to take charge of her own career and really shaped her own destiny," the Girls Next Door alum told PEOPLE. "I think that's really cool."
Guests at Monroe's 100th birthday celebration got to tour the exhibit centered around the actress' life. Inside are some of her on-screen costumes, including those from films such as 1949's Love Happy and 1953's Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
The event, made possible by Icon Skincare, also featured Monroe's famous “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” dress on full display.
Other notable attendees included Behati Prinsloo, Dita Von Teese, January Jones, Laura Bell Bundy, Kate Flannery, and Michael Urie, to name a few.
Tickets to attend Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon — open until Feb. 28, 2027 — can be purchased here.
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