Hollywood's Drama Queens
In La Vie En Rose, the 2007 biopic of Edith Piaf’s life, a scantily clad, temper-stricken Piaf exclaimed: “What’s the point of being Edith Piaf, if I can’t do what I want?”
This is a sentiment that has come to define many celebrities, both those of yesteryear and the ones that make up the daily gossip fodder of today. Fame, Hollywood and all the words that can be similarly grouped, have become synonymous with big scale drama and ‘divadom’.
Jemimah Steinfeld takes a look at some of the latest and greatest Drama Queens.
Naomi Campbell
Date of Birth: 22 May, 1970
Occupation: Model
Barely a month seems to pass without Campbell making headline news due to another hysterical rage. The model reportedly first saw red in 1998, her assistant being at the receiving end of this tantrum. Assaulted by a telephone, a trial ensued, whereupon Campbell pleaded guilty and agreed to attend anger management classes. Her mishandling of mobile phones did not stop here however. In 2006 Campbell allegedly threw her diamond-encrusted blackberry at her housekeeper during a dispute over a lost pair of jeans. The housekeeper subsequently levied assault charges and, unable to cajole the judges, Campbell was sentenced to five days community service. Never one for discretion, Campbell attended all five days dripping in couture, much to the delight of the trailing paparazzi circus. Post-community service, Campbell’s temper shows minimal signs of cooling. Indeed, if rumour be true, Campbell has been permanently banned from British Airways after spitting at a police officer in London’s Heathrow airport – a squabble resulting from a missing bag.
Marilyn Monroe
Date of Birth: 1 June, 1926
Occupation: Actress, singer, model
It became apparent early on that Hollywood had a class A diva on their hands when Norma Jeane Mortenson changed her moniker to Marilyn Monroe upon being signed by 20th Century Fox. As the blonde beauty’s fame grew, so did her attitude and with that, Monroe became increasingly difficult to work with. She was deemed recklessly spoilt by many, prone to continual outbursts that made filming well nigh impossible. Worst of all her sins was her habit of being late. Billy Wilder, who directed Monroe in ‘Some Like It Hot’, vowed to never work with Monroe again as a result. In an interview with Vanity Fair in 1999, Wilder said: “Miss Monroe is called for nine o’clock, and she would appear at five in the afternoon. She would stand there and say, “I’m sorry, but I lost my way to the studio.” She had been under contract there for seven years!” This lifestyle of tardiness later backfired – Monroe was sacked from the filming of ‘Something’s Got To Give’ after hardly showing up. This proved Monroe’s last opportunity to grace the silver screen. A few months later she passed away, at just 36. Her enigmatic death still remains the topic of dispute.
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