NewKerala.com

Drew Barrymore Reveals JFK Jr.'s Personal Call for 'Controversial' Marilyn Monroe Shoot

Drew Barrymore has shared the story behind her iconic 1996 magazine cover where she posed as Marilyn Monroe. The shoot was orchestrated after a personal phone call from the magazine's founder, John F. Kennedy Jr., who directly requested the controversial concept. Barrymore recalled seeking his direction on the tone, wanting to know if it was an approval or a sly commentary on the famous "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" moment. Kennedy Jr. instructed her to portray a "sensual, straightforward, confident moment," which ultimately resulted in the memorable cover.

Key Points: Drew Barrymore on JFK Jr.'s Call for Marilyn Monroe Cover

  • 1996 controversial magazine cover
  • Drew Barrymore dressed as Marilyn Monroe
  • Personal phone call from JFK Jr.
  • Inspired by Monroe's 1962 performance
  • Shoot aimed for straightforward sensuality
3 min read

Drew Barrymore recalls getting call from JFK Jr. to pose for 'controversial' magazine cover

Drew Barrymore details the personal phone call from JFK Jr. that led to her iconic and controversial 1996 Marilyn Monroe-inspired magazine cover.

"I want it to be this sort of sensual, straightforward, confident moment. - John F. Kennedy Jr."

Los Angeles, March 6

Hollywood actress Drew Barrymore has shared details of her call with John F. Kennedy Jr. and how it led to her memorable Marilyn Monroe inspired photo shoot.

During the Thursday, March 5 episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, the actress and host spoke with both Valerie Bertinelli and co-host Ross Mathews about her controversial 1996 cover of JFK Jr.'s magazine, in which she dressed up as Marilyn Monroe, reports 'People' magazine.

The Drew's News desk crew showed a photo of the iconic George cover as Barrymore, 51, detailed how it all came together.

"I'll never forget. I was in my home, I was in bed. I get on the phone and I'm like, 'Hi'. I mean, we were at the pinnacle of this couple being, I guess, as big as Taylor (Swift) and Travis (Kelce)", Drew Barrymore said of Kennedy and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. "I don't know how they lived their life. Their existence was not peaceful. It was paparazzi every single second, everywhere that they went. They couldn't walk out their own door without it being a red-carpet fashion runway. And they were Camelot. They were this sort-of royal couple".

As for the moment she touched base with the magazine founder, Barrymore said she didn't know where the "personal aspect" of their phone call "would come in".

"He said, 'I want to do something that's gonna be controversial because I'd like you to pose as Marilyn Monroe. And, of course, I know the famous 'Happy birthday, Mr. President' very well, we all do", she said of Marilyn Monroe's 1962 performance for JFK Jr.'s father, John F. Kennedy. I said, 'Oh, okay... I'd really love some direction from you on what the tone is,'" Barrymore said, sharing that she asked JFK Jr. if the moment was getting his "seal of approval", sly acknowledgement or if he was "making fun of it".

As per 'People', eventually, she asked JFK Jr. how she could "best represent this moment for you".

"He just said, 'I want it to be straightforward. I don't want it to be bafoonery. I don't want it to be over congratulatory. I want it to be this sort of sensual, straightforward, confident moment'", she recalled.

"And then we went and did the shoot and I heard they were really happy with the pictures and that was great. And then I saw the magazine and I was like, 'Oh my God, this is so crazy'", she added.

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
The parallels she draws to Taylor and Travis are spot on! Every era has its "it" couple that the media obsesses over. Can't imagine living under that kind of microscope 24/7. Respect to Drew for handling such a sensitive topic with JFK Jr. with so much thought.
A
Aman W
The most fascinating part is JFK Jr.'s direction: "sensual, straightforward, confident." He wanted to reclaim a narrative about his own family with artistic control. That's actually quite powerful. Shows there was a real mind behind the magazine, not just a famous name.
S
Sarah B
While the story is engaging, I find it a bit odd to glorify a cover that deliberately stirred controversy by referencing a painful chapter for that family. There's a fine line between homage and exploitation, even if the intent was artistic.
V
Vikram M
Barrymore's account of the paparazzi pressure on JFK Jr. and his wife is chilling. We see similar, though maybe less intense, media frenzy around our star couples here. It's a sad constant across film industries worldwide. Fame really is a double-edged sword.
K
Kavya N
Ha! Getting a call in bed from JFK Jr. himself. What a story to tell! It's like a scene from a movie. The 90s really were a different time for magazines and celebrity culture. Makes me nostalgic for that pre-social media era.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50