Michelle in Marilyn mode Photo Credit: GQ
Michelle Williams is not one to open up much these days, but in a surprisingly candid, and devastating, interview with GQ the actress discusses her relationship with the late Heath Ledger, her new role as Marilyn Monroe and just how difficult loss can be in the public eye. The magazine is kind enough to respond to Michelle’s emotional honesty by putting her in a bra and panties on the cover. Great call GQ, great call.
Michelle says of the time following the death of Heath: “I felt like I was going crazy. It was too much—trying to deal with what had happened and trying to deal with what was at [me and daughter Matilda's] doorstep. I just felt trapped. And it’s not just me—there’s somebody else who I’m trying to protect, and I can’t. I can’t make it stop, I can’t make it go away. Trying to find ways to explain it or shield her from it.”
Even more heart wrenching is when she talks about whether or not she saw the chance of a future with Heath, who she was no longer with at the time of his passing. After being asked the question, and quickly saying “No,” as her eyes fill up with tears, Michelle explains: “I said it would make me too sad to answer but it’s also…one of my favorite things to imagine. It’s actually one of my favorite places to visit.”
On a more uplifting subject, her amazing portrayal of Marilyn Monroe in My Week With Marilyn, Michelle said she got her best advice from Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who was similarly brilliant portraying Truman Capote in Capote. He told the actress: “If there’s even a whiff of the icon, things get much less interesting.”
The advice seemed to work.
Some Like Her Hot [GQ]
