Bruce Dern's Marilyn Story 

Talk about a superstar and a legend. Bruce must be a ball to hang out with. He is so watchable, he steals every scene. My favorite role is Silent Running. All good wishes, Bruce!

Last year, I was flying into L.A. for a birthday party at which one friend was Bruce's personal assistant and the other was a photographer who had shot Bruce a number of times. I said that I'd love to meet Bruce, in large part because we were both runners from the old days and I thought it would be fun to talk about those experiences. (Of course, I also loved his acting from the early '60s on.) Shortly after I arrived, Bruce showed up, having driven himself through unknown roads until he eventually found us. He had planned to stay for just a short time, but we ended up talking for several hours about everything under the sun, including lots of runners and races we both knew, his days at the actors' studio with Kazan and Strasberg, and subsequent years in Hollywood. At the end of the evening, he said, "To be continued," and gave me his cell phone number. He is such a fun guy, and a master storyteller. And I think his body of work in film is really like that of nobody else. (I hadn't seen him perform in many years (except in Tarantino's most recent), but when I got home, I watched "Nebraska," in which he was terrific.)

Someone below theought it would be great for Bruce to tell a John Wayne story. Here's one I heard him tell: he was called on to kill John Wayne in the movie The Cowboys. After filming the scene, Wayne said to him, "They're going to hate you in Orange County for that." To which Dern replied, "Yeah, but they'll love me in Berkeley."

" Rain, Garbo and Monroe " The cab was hailed The rain was slight Monroe and Dern Walking in the night Like a bat in-flight Waving for a ride Three actors waiting Almost side-by-side Garbo in a flash Drifting magically in the air Eyes never exchange Recognition nor despair

My mother couldn’t stand Bruce Dern. My dad and I adored him! Whenever he was in a movie my dad would say, “There’s mama’s boyfriend!” And my mom would pretend to get livid, and we laughed! Now I tell my kids, “There’s grandmother’s boyfriend” and we laugh! Just a stupid family joke, but it’s happy memories for me! ❤😅

Walking through a gentle rain with Marilyn Monroe and crossing paths with Greta Garbo. Man, that was a time.

Bruce Dern's work as the villain in "the Cowboys" was perhaps the all time greatest portrayal of a villain in any Western film ever made. After all, he does kill John Wayne in the movie. The actors who played the parts of the kids in the movie said they were all terrified of Dern because he was so convincing, LOL.

You gotta love Bruce Dern. Hollywood royalty. Met his daughter Laura and Jeff Goldblum on a plane when Jurassic Park was out. They were so nice to my kids.

Bruce's middle name is MacLeish. His grand uncle was acclaimed poet Archibald MacLeish. He was an avid track athlete, runner, and nearly qualified for the Olympics in track and field. Everyone must do themselves a favor and watch "Silent Running" an excellent scifi movie far ahead of its time.

I always think of Bruce Dern as the thinking man's actor in his television and movies parts; always bringing intelligence to all his roles.

That final scene of Dern as he throws his wedding band into the sea, as he disappears into it, was great.

Bruce was sensational in an episode of the original Fugitive tv series where he played a small town sheriff deputy. He was in another episode where he played a back hills country fellow who captured Lt. Gerard in the woods. Loved him in so many roles.

Awwww, what a great guy! Anybody who could make Marilyn smile and feel better is great in my book!

I'm so glad there are great stories like this from one of the great actors of our time available to all of us.

I loved him as Joe Danby in “Support Your Local Sheriff”!

What a great way to handle the situation! Kudos, Bruce!

I'm 59 years old....in my mind there are two people that stand alone in a category...Bruce Dern and Darth Vader. The very best villains of the past and future.

Great story, Bruce! I imagine you have a wealth of great stories to share. You've had an amazing career, so many great roles, so much incredible work. For me, Silent Running is one of my all time Sci-Fi favorites. It just hit at a time of my youth when i simply became wrapped up in that character and the desolation of space. Thanks for all your incredible work.

I remember his portrayal of a marine officer husband in ‘Coming Home’, with Jon Voight and Jane Fonda was great!

Bruce's daughter is pretty good too.

My Bruce Dern Story - I got a lot of mileage out of !😅… In the summer of 1974 my freshman year of High School , a buddy and I had embarked on an epic adventure of backpacking the Desolation Wilderness above Lake Tahoe California. It was a 9 day trek covering about 55 miles and witnessing some of the most beautiful scenery this country has to offer. We went in at Echo Lake and Came out at Meeks bay. On our last leg headed down hill to our pick up point, just able to keep our eyes open from exhaustion and the huge dust storm we were creating dragging our tiered starving selfs- we noticed a Jogger headed up the hill trail , we pulled over to let him pass and take a rest, as he passed he said “how’s it going fellas” we both looked at him and at the same time said “ Hi “ that was all we had the energy to squeak out. As he passed and headed up the trail (a quite steep grade )and jogging at a strong pace , we both turned and looked at each other and one of us says “ hey isn’t that the guy ?” Other says yeah - the guy from that science fiction movie with Huey Duey and Lewy we both said “Cool “. Every time I’m watching a film where Bruce Dern shows up I tell my little story about the time I saw Bruce Dern in person. COOL !

Dern was robbed of an Oscar for Nebraska! He deserved it for his whole career as well. He knew Monroe and saw Garbo! What a life! He always played villains in the Westerns and there was something unhinged about him that made him a scary villain .

I had an opportunity to be in the audience at the TCM film festival 2022 when Bruce Dern was interviewed . He is a great story teller and a wonderful actor . From one Chicagoan to another , kudos Mr. Dern.

Bruce Dern was a natural. He made it look effortless. One of my favorite movies of his was a comedy, "Support Your Local Sheriff" with James Garner. He was was a bad guy but still likeable at the same time.

love to hear these stories... I still remember Bruce Dern in "Silent Running"... really good actor

Bruce made quite a career convincingly playing bad guys in westerns etc. & the fact he's still going strong many decades later is a testimony to his versatile talents.

I used to see him running along the PCH in Malibu for years and years even in the rain.

My favorite was his role in the Burbs

“The Burbs”!!👍

Bruce was awesome in movies especially in westerns. He seems like a cool guy.

Excellent story teller i could listen them all day. And this dude has been around.

For those who haven't seen it, may I recommend "Family Plot" with Mr. Dern and Karen Black. It was Hitchcock's last movie. It wasn't Hitch's best but Dern makes it a worthwhile 2 hours!

Must be the best storytelling I've heard from an actor and and wasn't about making himself look good, at that point I wonder if he realised life would never get any higher !

Bruce played the Best bad guy .... One of my favorite actors for sure .... The Best!!

One of the most underrated actors in the business

Thank you for posting this!

Great story Bruce! You are the leading man! Running is the fountain of youth. You should have planted one on Marlyn, and just said, “Snap out of it!"

LOVE Bruce Dern...Support Your Local Sheriff was a favorite, also The Burbs..thank you for the memories, Mr. Dern...

I met Bruce in the summer of 1999 when he was in my hometown of Madison, IN. filming a movie about the 1971 Governor's Cup boat race along the Ohio River. I had worked on what became a cut scene from the final film as a background extra. In between takes and after filming was done for one night, Bruce was entertaining us with his stories for hours. I had just got out of high school that year, still 18, and he had bought rounds of drinks (beer, booze, you name it) for those 21 and older. I snuck a couple of beers with friends that were there at the time and we got into a bullshit session, trading jokes. He could tell the raunchiest jokes that would make a platoon of Marines blush lol. They were still filming in town when I was about to leave for basic training in Ft. Benning. He somehow got word of where I was going, and wanted to wish me luck in person. He shook my hand and told me he was proud of me. I'll never forget that moment for as long as I live.

Loafers with no socks !!!! I love that detail 😂

Long Hair is almost no hair! Fantastic actor. Watch him in The Cowboys with John Wayne from 1972. Intense is a terrible understatement.

John Wayne's movie "" The Cowboys "" was one of my favorite & I'll always remember Bruce Derns role in the movie as a Mean killer of John Wayne-- one of then only movies that he died in & the other was his last movie before he died"" The Shootist"" which he was very sick with the cancer during the filming😢 I LOVED ALL HIS MOVIES❤👍

You shoulda won Oscar for Nebraska!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great actor

“Silent Running”.

BLACK SUNDAY LOVED IT!

What a great story, Thanks for sharing Bruce

Bruce Dern........my favorite actor of all time.......stole every scene he ever appeared in......I'll watch anything with Dern in it.

BRUCR DERN . WAS A GREAT ACTOR . ESPECIALLY ON WESTON S GOD BLESS HIM .

My favorite actor! My favorite movie he made was Silent Running. An extraordinary person and actor. I wish I could meet and talk to him.

Bruce was one of those iconic cowboy types who filled my Saturday mid morning. Usually playing the bad guy who I just craved to shoot down. Thank you sir for that!

This guy is one of my favorite actors

Brilliant as ever Bruce.

Wonderful wonderful story! Thank you!

Yo Rumsfeld!!!!!!!!!! The burbs’ was his best.

Bruce was a very good RUNNER !!

One of the most recognisable actors, great parts he has played and will be always remembered for the characters he played so very well.

One of my favorite actors.

I just watched your interview with Cavette; you have been a favorite of mine for decades. My late brother Kim did some carpentry work for Laura on Laurel Canyon. So many years ago. ❤

A Legend, great actor...tanks for sharing

Bruce in Support your Local Sheriff is one of his best performances ever!

Bruce you are a legend idgaf what anyone else says

Thank you for the entertainment Bruce ,You did well Sir !

It’s nice to see Bruce Dern still telling stories about the old days & Marilyn. His daughter is a good actress in her own right👍🏻✨

Cool. I love the real memory moments!

One of my favorite actors, Bruce Dern

Such a great actor. Adore Bruce Dern.

I loved Garbo! So beautiful. I liked Bruce in The Great Gatsby!

I love these kind of stories.

♥️ This guy. One of the most important historical figures in the universe. Ever since I saw silent running 💨

Great story Bruce.

Classic actor I've Always liked him.

I always enjoy Mr. Der;s work in movies-----especially the westerns.

Love this man. Love this story.

That I think is something I would expect him to say. Classic Bruce Dern

Loved him in the original The Driver with Ryan O'Neal.

Anytime I saw Bruce Dern on a show I knew trouble was coming!

Great story Bruce Dern!!!!!!

We all have favorite memories that improve with each recounting.

This is a great story but all I keep thinking is there goes the god damn brownies.

I’ll watch Bruce Dern any day anytime ….I don’t care what the topic is… I’ll take any opportunity I get anytime just to see & hear him. But this is a great story…🙏💙

Marilyn would cry if someone didn't know her😅🤣😂

I love Bruce Dern!

Came here looking for a Smile clip, came away with a great Garbo story.

It's thanks to Bruce Dern (in his iconic performance of Botanist 'Freeman Lowell') working with a young Douglas Trumbull on 'SILENT RUNNING' that -- -- at age 12, I just knew that my life's journey would be of finding 'Moments' as an artist, a screenwriter and director. And like Mr. Dern's performances, I felt then as I do to this day, some 51 years later -- that we all have a certain moral imperative and must find the map of the our human heart. Because through, whatever good, bad or the ugly of our challenges, we are presented ultimately with the lesson that ... it's not really the life you live -- -- but rather, it's the life you learn from. Lucky me, in the mid-80's, as I was climbing the ladder to my first goals and thus absorbing every job on the set, that, I worked for Doug Trumbull as an assistant to the assistant editor at ShowScan. Thank you, Mr. Dern ... your work, your path as an artist realizing, searching the rooms of your human heart has made a difference to yours truly at age 12 ... and it does to this day at 63. D.A.

We love you Bruce !

I noticed that the most replayed section is at 1:06 I can't understand him either.

I love you Bruce Dern!💖

When Garbo was alive 'Garbo sightings' in New York were legend - I lived there when she died and thought it was so sad that the city had lost that possibility

That is a great story.

Amazing man

i love Bruce.

Great Bruce.

Great story!

Appreciated Mr. Dern when I saw him in his 10,000 th movie/tv series. If it was on film it seems like he was in it.

Dern Bruce ,nice story

Hey Bruce great story been a fan for a long time.thank you

What a brilliant man!

Amazing. You know it's true.

I saw Bruce in a film in which he played a drug pusher with dark glasses. I can't remember the name of the film but he was brilliant.