BLONDE ON 'BLONDE' IN PLAYING MARILYN MONROE, POPPY MONTGOMERY TAKES ON A POP ICON.

Byline: Fred Shuster Staff Writer

``Listen, you don't become Marilyn Monroe without talent, drive and smarts, especially coming from nothing. That part of her personality has been seriously overlooked,'' says Poppy Montgomery, who has been trying to get inside the skin of the enigmatic icon for months.

The 25-year-old Australian actress stars as Monroe in ``Blonde,'' a four- hour miniseries airing in two parts Sunday and Wednesday on CBS (Channel 2). The TV drama is directed by Joyce Chopra and based on Pulitzer and Nobel Prize nominee Joyce Carol Oates' 750-page novel.

The timing of the miniseries is no coincidence. On June 1, the former Norma Jeane Baker would have turned 75. But since her death from a drug overdose in Brentwood on Aug. 5, 1962, she has never been out the public's consciousness, inspiring books, movies and songs.

The studios are marking the anniversary with the release of Marilyn's movies on DVD, and an exhibit of her artifacts called ``Happy Birthday, Marilyn'' goes on display at the Hollywood Entertainment Museum June 1.

The miniseries, shot over 10 weeks in Melbourne, Australia, traces Monroe's career from aspiring actress to a studio creation - the proverbial dumb platinum blonde, attempting along the way to offer a three-dimensional look at the pop icon.

``There were so many layers to her personality,'' Montgomery says. ``She was smart, but she really wanted to fall in love and have children. She wasn't just a victim.''

Montgomery admits to being a fan of Marilyn's and says that was part of the draw in doing the film. And getting the role of the sex goddess must have been in the stars for Montgomery, who landed the part a week after auditioning on videotape.

``I never met the executives, the producers, the director,'' she marveled. ``It was really bizarre. I've had multiple auditions for roles a tenth of this size. I don't know how it happened, I'm just thrilled it did. It's rare you get to do a four-hour film where you're in every scene.''

Montgomery came to the U.S. from Australia at the age of 18. After reading ``How to Make It in Hollywood,'' she got in touch with Julia Roberts' manager, who sent her on a couple of auditions, where she had a good reception.

In one of her first gigs, Montgomery scored a bit part in ``Devil in a Blue Dress,'' a role so tiny, she jokes, ``If you blink, you'll miss me.''

But she can relate to Monroe's drive, pointing out that Monroe was extremely ambitious and well aware of the Hollywood star-making machinery that went into high gear for the troubled actress.

``She had no sense of self,'' Montgomery says. ``The world perceived her as one thing and she didn't see that. It eventually wore her down. Oates' book does such a great job explaining that. For me, the book did all the work. Normally, when you get a script, you fill in the blanks as an actor. But Oates dug so deeply into Monroe's psyche that I had it all right there in front of me on the page.''

TV's ``Blonde'' comes with added marketing synergy. Hey, what'd you expect? This is 2001, after all.

The jazz-noir soundtrack to the miniseries was recently released by the Playboy Jazz label, the magazine's new jazz imprint, distributed by longtime jazz label Concord.

Monroe was featured in the very first issue of Playboy in 1953.

``It takes so many things to go right in a project like this, and normally they don't,'' said veteran film and TV composer Patrick Williams, who penned the ``Blonde'' score. ``But, for some reason, the stars were out in this case. Here was the first release on Playboy's new label and Marilyn was in their first issue. I couldn't believe how fortunate all this was.''

The exhibit at the Hollywood Entertainment Museum consists of more than 200 Monroe artifacts, costumes, art and photographs, on view through Aug. 15. Highlights from the exhibit include Monroe's costumes from ``Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'' and ``Let's Make Love''; four 1949 nudes photographed by Tom Kelly; 10 original snapshots of her Korean War tour in 1952; and other rare photography.

Finding the real Marilyn in all of this may prove as elusive as it always has, but Montgomery feels that ``Blonde'' ``isn't exploitive.''

``The novel truly humanizes Marilyn rather than feeding into the whole pop icon thing,'' she says. ``She was an incredible talent and human being, a real person aside from this mythical figure.''

``BLONDE''

What: A four-hour fictional retelling of the life of Norma Jeane Baker, better-known as Marilyn Monroe. Based on the novel by Joyce Carol Oates.

The stars: Poppy Montgomery, Ann-Margret, Patricia Richardson, Kirstie Alley, Patrick Dempsey, Wallace Shawn, Griffin Dunne, Eric Bogosian.

Where: CBS (Channel 2).

When: 9 p.m. Sunday and Wednesday.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) POPPY MONTGOMERY AS MARILYN MONROE

(2) ``There were so many layers to her personality,'' says Poppy Montgomery, pictured, about Marilyn Monroe.