Long before Kim Kardashian and her makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic really excited the Internet with all sorts of contouring, strobing and highlighting, there was another, no less famous couple with their own beauty secrets. In Hollywood, Allan "Whitey" Schneider has always been listed as Marilyn Monroe's personal makeup artist, stylist, and close friend. They first met in 1946, when she successfully passed her first acting audition at the 20th Century Fox studio. From then on, Allan took responsibility for her makeup - both on set and in life. He was by her side throughout her meteoric career, from her debut film Monkey Business in 1952 to her final makeover, which he tearfully performed on the day of her funeral in 1962. All those legendary images that still serve as a source of inspiration and an object of admiration are the work of his golden hands. We learned and collected together several professional secrets of Mr. Schneider and his muse - they, what is most interesting, are relevant to this day.
1. Before foundation Allan always applied a thin layer of Vaseline to hydrate his skin and make it glow in the spotlight. Nowadays, when choosing a tone due to its range can result in a slight headache, this method is not particularly suitable. But you shouldn’t ignore Vaseline as a handy highlighter - it looks great on the cheekbones and under the eyebrow.
2. Volume to the lips. In an era when lips were not yet enlarged with injections, for the sake of plumpness one had to resort to tricks and use at least five products of different shades. For the illusion of depth, Allan outlined the lips with a chocolate-colored pencil. Using a brick-colored pencil, I stroked my lips from the periphery to the center. Using a bright red pencil, moving from the center, I mixed all the shades together. In order not to disturb the recreated depth and volume, he used pencils near the outline as carefully as possible. I placed a dot in the center of the lower lip with a creamy highlighter and completed the procedure by applying a “greasy” lip balm on top (namely a balm, not a gloss).
3. Wet eye makeup at that time it was considered the height of sexuality. In the absence of metallic textures, Allan simply applied a thin layer of Vaseline or coconut oil over the compact eyeshadow.
4. The secret of white shadows. Actress Greta Garbo was spotted using one make up trick, which Allan successfully used with his muse. To noticeably widen the look throughout the entire eyelid, it is enough to shade white shadows (powder), and place a dot of shadows of the same shade, but only with a pearlescent texture, in the inner corners of the eyes.
5. He always combined several shades of eyeliner- I drew the outline with black and brown eyeliner at the same time, with white eyeliner I highlighted the eyelash contour from the inside and the outer corner, and inside the eyes I put a pair of red dots - this gave the whites brightness or whiteness.
- Platinum blonde. They say that becoming a blonde was the decision that determined Marilyn's career in cinema. With the unruly, curly chocolate-colored hair that Monroe had before her Hollywood days, she was, although beautiful, more of an inconspicuous girl than the sex bomb she became with her platinum hair color. Hairdresser Pearl Porterfield bleached her hair the old fashioned way, with simple hydrogen peroxide, and after that Marilyn never thought about returning to her natural shade. And why? Blonde Monroe was truly stunning.
- “Own” aroma. Perfume was an integral part of Marilyn Monroe's style. One of the actress’s famous aphorisms indicates that Monroe scented herself even at night: “What do I wear to bed? Why, of course, I’m wearing a couple of drops of Chanel No. 5.” This legendary composition of the French House was fully consistent with the no less legendary Marilyn. She was convinced that “there are no women who do not love perfume, but there are women who have not found their scent.”
- Consciousness of one's own femininity. Femininity was given to Marilyn by nature, she appreciated it and tried to emphasize it in every possible way. “I definitely feel like a woman and I enjoy it,” Monroe said. — Femininity gives rise to true beauty. A woman’s attractiveness is strong only when it is natural and spontaneous.” This belief helped her live in a world “ruled by men.”
- "Protein" breakfast. The actress did not forget about the importance of breakfast, which, as we know, should be substantial. In the mornings, Marilyn ate without frills, but not mediocre. She heated the milk and mixed two raw eggs with it using a fork. This protein boost allowed her to keep herself in shape.
Makeup in the style of Marilyn Monroe
- Radiant skin. Marilyn had an amazing secret for radiant skin - the whole point is that the actress categorically refused to remove the light “fluff” on her cheeks and cheekbones. She claimed that under the studio lights they gave the skin a subtle, soft glow. In addition, moisturizing creams (Erno Laszlo Active pHelityl Cream or Nivea) helped her keep her skin in its best condition.
- Red lips. Still haven't found the perfect red lipstick? Try to choose a shade that is as close as possible to what Marilyn “wore.” Red lips have always been the highlight of Marilyn Monroe's style. Thanks to her, it has become a classic for fair-haired girls to complement their makeup with scarlet lipstick. It should have a glossy shine on your lips, like Marilyn's, to make you look truly luxurious.
- Long eyelashes. “Women have only two weapons: mascara and tears. But we can’t use them at the same time.” Do you remember this famous saying Marilyn? The languid, “velvet” look from under Marilyn’s long and fluffy eyelashes had a truly magical effect. Not only did she tint her eyelashes with mascara, but she also wore false eyelashes—her favorites were from Glorene of Hollywood.
- "Cat" look. It wasn't just her marvelous eyelashes that helped her create the effect of a “cat-like” look. Marilyn also always lined her eyes with a pencil - she drew arrows with a sharp “tail” with a thin line at the edge of the eyelash. To do this, she used not only black, which is usually combined with bright red lips, but also brown for a “softer” eye makeup.
- Smile. Among the many advantages of Marilyn’s appearance is a dazzling smile, as they say, “a million dollars.” The star said: “Smile, because life is a beautiful thing and there is so much to smile about.” And it's hard to argue with that. By the way, in order to keep her smile snow-white, Marilyn used baking soda when brushing her teeth. This simple technique gave rise to a boom in teeth whitening: viewers, seeing Marilyn’s disarming smile on the screens, dreamed of the same one.
Marilyn Monroe: figure parameters
- Feminine forms. Marilyn was never close to the classic model parameters: her weight at different times ranged from 53 to 66 kilograms, and Marilyn Monroe's body type was always feminine - with a lush bust and expressive curve of the hips. The actress did not strive for thinness - it would definitely deprive her of her sexuality - and was sure: “Girls who think they are fat because they are not a size zero should know that in fact they are beautiful, and society is ugly.”
- A little sport. Marilyn needed various types of activities not to lose weight (as we already know, the actress was proud of her curves), but to keep her figure in good shape. For this purpose, she chose running, yoga, and sometimes rode horseback. But she didn’t resort to grueling workouts - again, she didn’t need to be thin.
- No to prejudice.“Imperfections are beautiful,” Marilyn adhered to this opinion, although she herself seems to many to be an ideal. But one cannot but agree with her words: what many consider imperfection in a person actually makes him unique, not like the rest. This is the beauty that nature gives to people.
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Marilyn Monroe: clothing style
- The ability to show the advantages of a figure. “The body is meant to be seen, not hidden under clothing,” said Marilyn. The actress, of course, did not follow this “dogma” literally, but the star always emphasized the beauty of her figure in the most skillful way. Dresses with tight silhouettes and deep necklines allowed her to show herself in all her glory and delight her fans.
A girl named Norma Jean Baker was a factory worker when she had a fateful meeting with photographer David Convoyor. This event marked the beginning of the stellar career of Norma, now known throughout the world under the pseudonym Marilyn Monroe.
What is hidden behind the stage image of a movie star?
Marilyn is the undisputed standard of sexuality combined with naivety. Having become a world-class actress, she was never able to get rid of her shortcoming: self-doubt. The demons of doubt and depression haunted her throughout her life, but Marilyn bravely moved forward in her profession, despite the pain and suffering that she had to endure.
One minute of airtime in Hollywood cost thirty-five thousand dollars. At the same time, they remembered her: even this fact did not stop her from perfectionist tendencies. She was still constantly late for filming due to endless makeup redoing. This revealed her deepest personality. Marilyn Monroe without makeup was not a phenomenal beauty, probably like any girl. But she had a very sweet appearance, and such pickiness about herself was the result of difficult experiences, fears, and depression.
However, one way or another, she became a real legend: cheerful and cheerful in appearance, deeply unhappy inside. Marilyn always tried to be perfect, as if she could disguise her selfhood behind makeup. And she did it well.
Makeup Marilyn
In 1946, Alan Snyder became the actress's personal makeup artist. He used techniques that gave her a truly fabulous look. Marilyn Monroe's makeup secrets and tricks largely belonged to the hand of this style maestro.
Many girls would like to look like the beautiful Marilyn. What are the subtleties of her makeup and how to reproduce the star look? Let's look at everything in order.
In general, her image is quite simple, but contains many tricks.
Eyes
Marilyn herself considered the eyelids to be one of the sexiest areas of the body. The radiant shade, shaded on the eyelids, does not catch the eye like other components of the makeup. But it is no less important in creating the image of a film star. Also, the star's makeup uses several types of eyeliner: a mandatory attribute is a radiant contour, as well as black colors. Sometimes you can see double arrows in photographs of Marilyn. In some looks, black eyeliner is not so noticeable; Alan Snyder used it, only emphasizing the lash line. The important part was to shape the eyebrows.
Looking at photographs of Marilyn Monroe without makeup, you can see that in some ways her beauty was quite ordinary. The way her eyes looked was largely the result of skillful makeup techniques.
The real Marilyn was very different from the one she tried to imagine.
Another integral component of the actress's makeup were fluffy false eyelashes. To make them look more natural, Snyder, at the actress’s request, shortened them a little.
Face tone
Monroe had a very light skin tone. She washed her face many times a day and also applied it to her face. a large number of layers of Vaseline. But this behavior was more likely to be compulsive. You don’t have to be like Marilyn in such details and just moisturize your skin well before applying makeup.
The application of tone was important. Marilyn was very beautiful, but in fact she did not have ideal proportions in everything. was one of the sources of her complexes. With Marilyn Monroe without makeup, this small flaw became a little noticeable. But now almost no one knows about her embarrassment at that time. When people look at her photos, they only see a legendary style icon.
So, one of Alan Snyder’s tasks was sculpting - creating the appearance of ideal proportions using powder of different shades. Those parts that needed to be visually smaller were corrected with darker shades. Then a small amount of blush was applied.
Lips
Snyder used a special trick to highlight this part of the face. The lip contour was outlined with darker shades, as opposed to those used in the center. The red color of the lips was in harmony with the color of the dress or the same bright nail polish.
An ordinary girl who, like everyone else, wanted to be truly happy - that was Marilyn Monroe without makeup. The life of the star was different: the image presented to the audience was strikingly different from the real Norma Jean Baker.
Marilyn Monroe without makeup was a defenseless girl struggling with loneliness and her fears. But on stage she always remained the unique and elegant Marilyn.
1998
At the end 1998
2001
in autumn 2001 2001
↓Choosing the pseudonym Monroe is, of course, a shot. They say about people like her: “Self-taught!” Essentially having no special training or education, she appeared out of nowhere. Sincerity, courage and self-confidence actually made her become the ideal woman of her time. Having arisen as a protest, she, by her example, decided to create a version of a super-diva, who today does not leave television screens and various media. Yes! Monroe is grotesque, but thereby she reflects the main idea of the image she created, attracting the eyes of numerous viewers!
The artist herself began to think about her performances and outfits long before she first appeared on stage. Speaking at the opening of the Kletka nightclub in September 1998 years, having declared herself as an original entertainer, a prima donna, surprisingly similar to Marilyn, she least of all counts on material rewards. Few people know that she, in the company of general construction workers, also prepared the “Cage” for opening. She painted walls, mixed cement, laid linoleum and very often worked the night shift.
After working in the “Cage” for about a year, Monroe provoked a frenzied increase in impostors calling themselves “travesty divas.” Despite this, she was the only one who managed to overcome the amateur stage of the fading “Cage”.
At the end 1998 year Monroe agrees to the offer to try herself as a host of several themed parties in the top club of that time, Hollywood. When the auditions were successfully completed and Monroe was unconditionally hired with the highest fee among full-time artists, this meant one thing: a new era had now begun. Monroe Era! Thanks to “Hollywood,” just like half a century ago, the fatal blonde leaked onto television, closed parties and the pages of leading Ukrainian publications.
For two years, Monroe's name was on the lips of a significant number of nightclub visitors. People come from other cities to see the “Hollywood” marvel. The first official invitations to the regions appear. The club administration knew very well that, unlike his prototype, Monroe had a steely character, knew exactly what he wanted and how to achieve it. Professional growth and indefatigable ability to work free Monroe's hands - she gains long-awaited independence.
Having saved the required amount, Monroe decides on the first travesty show project in her life, and in the life of night Ukraine. It was a two-part program in which, in addition to Monroe, three more artists took part. The performance was structured in the classic style of the show: entre, several solos, duets and a finale. The numbers were broken up by humorous entertainment, sometimes with strawberries, in order to outline the boundaries of the genre. Bright costumes, generously decorated with feathers, stones and sparkles, gave the program the necessary chic and luxury. Monroe becomes the leader of the team. And in the spring 2001 year, under the name “Star Factory”, the show went on its first tour.
in autumn 2001 Hollywood is closing for renovations that will last two years. Monroe is not afraid of this, as the “Star Factory” is gaining momentum. Odessa, Lvov, Uzhgorod, Kherson, Donetsk, Kharkov and many other cities were plastered with posters for the show in a completely new format. IN 2001 Over 20,000 people attended the “Star Factory” concerts this year. At the closing ceremony of the Hollywood club, Monroe and the Star Factory show were recognized as the best presenter and the best Saturday club show, respectively.
Also, the soloists of the “Star Factory” took part in the reporting concerts of I. 
(2001
year) and T. 
(2003
year).
In subsequent years, the composition of the “Star Factory” will change until Monroe understands that working with the team is slowing down her development as a drag queen actress! Hopes of finding artists with the same firm position in life, serious intentions and the same ability to work were not justified. At some point, Monroe despaired. Close friends and employees seemed ungrateful, lazy, and not serious about leading and developing the business she started a couple of years ago. Monroe left the team and focused on her solo career.
In the status of the single “travesty queen” of Ukraine, she obtains more and more new regalia. Title “Best Presenter of the Year” at the “Miss Travesty Russia” competition, Moscow, 2003 year, Grand Prix of the competition “Rainbow over the Dniester” Moldova, 2004 year, Title of Vice-Miss at the Miss Travesty Russia competition, Moscow. 2005 year.
At first 2005 year, Monroe tries herself as an active concert and administrative worker, working in the Kiev club “Androgyn”, as an art director. She brought the reconstruction of the stage, a bright transformation of the costume department, new life“Androgynous” artists, in essence, a new format, concentrating it on the European plane.
in autumn 2005 This year a new club “Pomada” will open in Kiev Passage. According to rumors, one of the club owners, who had been a fan of Monroe since the days of “Hollywood,” could not imagine the future work of “Lipstick” without the famous front diva. As you know, blood red, the dominant tone in the club’s interior, was originally intended as an association with Monroe’s plump mouth. Well, a countless number of mirrors were designed to catch HER reflection. Unfortunately the mirrors turned out to be broken. Monroe will “open” the “Lipstick”, but will not be able to use it to the end. In a couple of months, she will give it to performers who are always overcoming problems with cosmetics!
WITH 2007 year, Monroe captured the Internet and conquered print publications as a talented journalist and secular critic. The diary of drag queen Monroe on the mega-popular Tabloid portal evokes a lot of comments, thereby confirming the growing interest in the artist’s life.
In March 2008 year, Monroe, together with the ballet “Arena Show Girls”, launches a series of parties “Thursdays with Monroe”, which take place in the top club “Arena”. Over the course of a year and a half of work, Monroe and her colleagues presented about 50 programs, created more than 100 performances and presented the musical “Ledis”.
Monroe's main task as an artist is to create a unique picture - a spectacular image. A brilliant appearance, a huge wardrobe that includes about a hundred costumes, a variety of genre acts, a sparkling entertainer - these are the main bridges connecting Monroe with her audience.
Today it is difficult to imagine any even remotely decent event without Monroe. If a drag queen Diva is present at your party, then the evening is a success!
There are many conflicting stories about Marilyn, and I wanted to find out the truth first-hand. I was warned that I would have to wait. The wait turned out to be productive. I watched how she lives and how she works. I watched how I communicated with my husband, writer Arthur Miller. I discovered in them similar gentleness, intelligence, simplicity, and especially sincerity and honesty, rare qualities. I had an image of a couple who wanted to be happy and who were - this was felt in the tone of their story. Marilyn turned out to be completely different from what we used to imagine her to be. Smart, open and completely defenseless.
“I never lived with my parents, I didn’t know my father, and my mother was for me “that woman with red hair” who sometimes came to visit me.”
Marilyn Monroe: I'd rather answer questions. I don’t know how to just tell something, it’s terrible. Where to begin? So many options...
Marie Claire: However, the beginning was your childhood.
Marilyn: Nobody knows anything about this, only guesses. For a long time, my life, my past remained in complete fog. I never talked about this because it is my personal matter. Then director Lester Cowan wanted to cast me in the film Happy Love. He offered me a small role and he had to sign a contract with me. I was still very young, so he said that he would like to talk to my father or mother. I said it's impossible. "Why?" - he insisted. “I never lived with my parents,” I explained to him the situation. It was the pure truth, and I never understood why this fact should be sensationalized. Since then, so much nonsense has been written about me that my God, why not tell the truth now?
What are your first memories of yourself as a child?
Marilyn (after a long silence): My first memories? Well, as I remember, I'm in a stroller, wearing a long white dress, on the sidewalk in front of the house where I lived with a family that wasn't my own family. The fact that I am my mother’s own child is a fact. But what they say about my father or my fathers is nonsense. My mother's first husband was named Baker. The second is Mortenson. But when I was born, she had been divorced from them for a long time. They say that my father was Norwegian, as indicated by the name Mortenson, and that he died shortly after my birth in a road accident. As for the identity of my real father, I know two facts. In my birth record, next to the column “father’s profession,” it says “Baker.” This is the name of my mother's first husband, but it is also the name of his profession - baker. When I was born out of wedlock, my mother had to give me a last name. Probably making a quick decision, she said “Baker.” Or it happened due to a clerk's mistake. Anyway, my name is Norma Jean Baker. This is written on all my school notebooks. Everything else is stupid invention.
So your mother raised you alone...
Marilyn : I never lived with my mother. They say it's not true, but it's true. I have always been in the care of other people. My mother had mental problems. She worked as an editor at a film studio. Now she is no longer alive. Her parents died in a mental hospital. My mother also had to be placed in a psychiatric hospital. Sometimes she was released, but then there were relapses. So it was like this: when I was very little, I pointed to the first woman who entered the room: “Mom!” - and to the first man who entered: “Dad!” But one morning—I was probably three years old—they were giving me a bath, and I called the woman who was taking care of me then mom. She replied: “I’m not your mother. Call me auntie." "But he's my dad"? – I asked, pointing to her husband. “No,” she replied, “we are not your parents. That woman with red hair who comes to you sometimes is your mother.” It was a shock for me then. But since my mother came very rarely, she forever remained a “red-haired woman” for me. Nevertheless, I knew about its existence. However, when I was placed in an orphanage, it was another shock. I already knew how to read. After reading the inscription “Orphanage”, written in gold letters on a black background, I threw a tantrum and had to be dragged away by force. I shouted: “I’m not an orphan, I have a mother!” Later people told me: “You better forget about your mother.” "But where is she?" – I asked. "Don't think about it, she's dead." And then after some time I receive news about her. And so on for several years. It turned out that I made up her death because I didn’t want to admit where she was. Idiot! Anyway, I lived in eleven foster families. The first family was very religious. We lived in a small town in the suburbs of Los Angeles (I was born in Los Angeles). There was another adopted boy with me. I lived with them until I was about seven years old. They were terribly strict, but without malice. They raised me in their own way, within strict limits, and corrected my mistakes with the help of a leather belt. Eventually word got out and I was given over to be raised by an English couple in Hollywood. These were actors, or rather extras, and my life with them was strikingly different from the previous one. The new parents worked hard when they had jobs, and the rest of the time they enjoyed life, singing, dancing, drinking, playing cards, and having many friends. With my religious upbringing, I have already seen them in hell for all their sins! I prayed for hours for the salvation of their souls. These Englishmen kept me because they received money from the sale of my mother's property. They introduced me to cinema. I have not yet turned eight years old. I had my favorite stars. Jean Harlow. My hair was platinum, which is why I was nicknamed “tow head.” I hated them and dreamed of golden hair until I saw her: such a beauty - and with platinum hair like mine! And Clark Gable! I hope he won't be angry with me if I say that I imagined him as my father. According to Freud, this is not bad at all, on the contrary! It's interesting, but I never dreamed of someone being my mother. What we were talking about?
About an English couple. When the money runs out...
Marilyn: Yes, they returned me to the orphanage. Oh wait. No, I went to live with these people in Hollywood, they were from New Orleans. But I wasn't there long. Three to four months. Then I ended up in a shelter. There I started to stutter. This still happens to me when I'm tired or nervous. At the orphanage I started going to secondary school. They pointed at us and said: oh, look, orphans, orphans! We were ashamed. I was a very tall girl. They gave me fourteen, although in fact I was 9. Then I was already the same height as now - 163 cm. I stayed in the orphanage until I was 11 years old. After that she lived in many more families. Maybe they were paid for me? Some received me at the end of the school term and kept me during the holidays. Eventually I was taken into custody by the state of California. That’s how I ended up in the house of “Aunt” Anna. It was an elderly woman, about 60–65 years old. She loved me very much, and I felt it. At the end of this happy period I was married off. I don't have much to say about that marriage. Auntie was supposed to be leaving for Virginia. In Los Angeles she got $20 for me. If I left with them, they would stop paying her, and she couldn’t support me on her own. It was necessary to find a way to accommodate me. In California, girls can get married at 16. So, I was given a choice - either return to the state orphanage until I turned 18, or get married. I was almost 16 and I chose marriage. His last name was Dougherty, he was 21 years old and he worked in a factory. A little later, the war began, and he was mobilized into the active army. Shortly before the end of the war, I went to Las Vegas and got a divorce. I was 20 years old. Now he is a police agent, but we do not keep in touch with him.
Are you afraid to tell the whole truth about yourself?
Marilyn: People close to me know how difficult it is for me to lie. Sometimes I can keep something quiet to protect myself or others, but I can't lie. People are funny creatures, they ask you all these questions and if you answer honestly they are shocked. People ask me: “What do you wear when you go to bed? A pajama shirt? Pajama pants? Nightgown? I answer: “A drop of Chanel No. 5 perfume,” and they think that I was making such a joke. Whereas I was simply trying to delicately answer an insensitive question. Besides, it's true, but people don't believe it! The moment came when I became popular, and people could not understand why they didn’t see me at premieres or presentations. And I studied. I wanted to finish my education and enrolled as an evening student at Los Angeles University. During the day she made a living by playing small roles in films, and in the evening she took a course in literature and American history. I read a lot. A whole world opened up to me. It was difficult to come to school on time. We had to hurry all the time. I left the studio at 6:30 p.m., and in order to be fully ready on set at 9 a.m., I had to get up early. Our teacher, Madame Siay, didn’t know that I was an actress, but it seemed strange to her that young people from other classes would look at us during class to look at me and whisper. One day she asked my classmates about this, and they told her that I was acting in a movie. She was very surprised: “I thought that this girl had just left the monastery!” This was the best compliment. But people preferred to see me as a stupid, capricious and sexy starlet. My reputation has always been a little lagging.
“They asked me what I wear to bed? A pajama shirt? Pajama pants? Nightgown? And I answered – Chanel No. 5, because it’s true. I didn't want to say that I go to bed naked."
Don't you like to rush?
Marilyn: Perfection takes time. I would like to become a great actress in the true sense of the word and be as happy as possible. But what is happiness? And to become great, it takes a lot of effort and a lot of time. Love and work are the only true things in our lives. They must keep up, otherwise life begins to limp. On the other hand, work is a form of love. And if I dreamed of love, I wanted it to be as perfect as possible. When I married Joe DiMaggio in 1954, he was no longer playing baseball, but he was a superb athlete and a man of rare sensitivity. The son of Italian immigrants, he experienced many hardships in his youth. Therefore, we understood each other quite well. This united us. But still not ideal. And so our marriage broke up, unfortunately, after ten months of living together.
How did you meet Arthur Miller?
Marilyn : We met for the first time at the pavilion where I was filming. I cried because I found out about my friend’s death, and he was passing by with director Elia Kazan. We were introduced to each other. I saw everything as if in a fog. It was 1951. After that we didn't meet for four years. We corresponded sometimes, and he sent me a list of books that were worth reading. Then we met again at the studio. That evening I had auditions for two films, and on set I tried my best. I will never forget what he said that day. It seemed to him that I should play in the theater, and the people who heard this laughed. But he repeated: “No, no, seriously.” And in his tone I felt deep humanity. He treated me as an equal. And this is the most important thing for me. Since we got married in 1955, if I'm not filming, we've led a quiet, happy life in New York or at our home in Connecticut. My husband likes to work early in the morning. He usually gets up at six. Maybe lie down some more after lunch. Our apartment is not very large, and I ordered his office to be upholstered with soundproof panels. When he works, he needs complete solitude. I get up at half past eight. We have an excellent cook. Sometimes, while he is preparing breakfast, I go for a walk with my dog Hugo. And when the chef is on vacation, I get up early to make breakfast for my husband. I believe that a man should not cook. I'm very old-fashioned when it comes to etiquette. It also seems to me that under no circumstances should a man carry in his hands something that belongs to a woman - a bag, high-heeled shoes, etc. True, I have sometimes hidden a peignoir in my husband’s pocket, but that’s all. After breakfast I take a bath. This is absolutely necessary. Often you have to get up at six or even five in the morning. Then a contrast shower helps me wake up. And in New York I like to lie in the bath and look through magazines while listening to music. Then I put on a skirt and blouse, flat shoes and a polo jacket. On Tuesdays and Thursdays at eleven I usually go to the acting studio for private lessons with Lee Strasberg. I come back for lunch; my husband and I usually have lunch and dinner together. We listen to records while eating. My husband, like me, loves classical music. Or good jazz, although we usually play jazz when friends who like to dance come to visit us. Arthur often works after lunch. At this time I always have something to do. Arthur has two children from his first marriage, and I try to be a good stepmother to them. The house is also always full of things to do. I like to cook, but not in the city, where there is a lot of fuss, but outside the city, on weekends. I make delicious bread and noodles - roll them out, dry them, boil them and season them with sauce. These are my signature dishes. But I also like to come up with something new. I like seasonings. Garlic! Sometimes I go overboard with it. Sometimes the actors with whom I study in Strasberg's courses come to our house, in the morning or afternoon, and I cook them breakfast or serve tea. In general, my days are always filled with something. But before dinner I always have to be free to be with my husband. After dinner we sometimes go to the theater or cinema, or go on a visit, or receive guests. But more often we just sit at home, listen to music, read or talk. We love to walk along the streets or in Central Park. We really like to walk. There is no routine in our life. There are times when we would like to be more organized, to do certain things at certain times. But my husband says that at least this way we don't have to get bored. So everything is fine. And personally, I am never bored. I'm only bored with people who are bored themselves. I really like people, but sometimes I ask myself, do I really want to be so social? Loneliness doesn't bother me at all. I feel good when I'm alone. I even like it, it's relaxation. This allows you to pull yourself together and refreshes your mind.