A Smile Goes a Long Way

Marilyn Monroe and Julia Roberts smiles changed their careers.

A beautiful woman is a dime a dozen in movies. What separates some is how they project their charm out from the screen. Merely showing skin, although often very enticing, is not always enough to create a lasting image. One action an actress can do to make a lasting image is to smile. Marilyn Monroe and Julia Roberts have each created iconic images of themselves due to their memorable smiles.

In her early roles, Marilyn Monroe walked around in tight fitting clothes and looked great but, until she developed her sexy, open mouth/slightly closed eye smile, she was just another hot actress. Watch the way she looks when performing Diamond's Are a Girls Best Friend in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Her smile can often be compared to a state of orgasm. Monroe's smile is a sexual statement in itself. It’s a come hither, I want you look that no other actress has yet to master, let alone match. Watch her perform My Heart Belongs to Daddy in Lets Make Love. Monroe is clearly overweight and dressed in an unattractive sweater. However, there is a moment in her performance where she gives her trademark smile, with a wink. It is the highlight of the entire song.

Julia Robert's smile is just as potent, but in another way. It is very friendly and infectious. Her wide mouthed smile makes you want to smile along no matter what your mood. Watch Roberts in pre Pretty Women movies and you see a beautiful, yet stiff actress that does not really stand out. Could she have been more dull in the dramatic Steel Magnolias? Watch her performance in Pretty Woman. Every time she smiles or laughs the movie just seems to come alive with her joy. Watch the scene where Richard Gere snaps the jewelry box and Julia Roberts mouth opens into a wide smile and a laugh. It is Roberts star power in action.

The best and easiest way for a person to appear aproachable is to simply smile at someone. It can be a very attractive feature. Marilyn Monroe and Julia Roberts, above all other actresses, have the greatest smiles the silver screen have ever seen. Monroe’s is full of sexual promise and Robert’s is all about friendly fun. Actresses spend lots of money on plastic surgery and lots of time in a gym. Perhaps they are forgetting about their best, but often overlooked, asset.