Marilyn Munster
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{{Infobox character | colour = #00CC00 | colour text = white | name = Marilyn Munster | series = The Munsters | image = 
| caption = Beverley Owen as Marilyn Munster. | first = "Munster Masquerade" | last = "A Visit from the Teacher" | creator = | portrayer = Beverley Owen
and Pat Priest
[[ *Debbie Watson (1966)
Jo McDonnell (1981)
Hilary Van Dyke (1988)
Christine Taylor (1995)
Elaine Hendrix (1996) | episode = 70 | nickname = | alias = | species = human | gender = female | age = (in college) | born = | death = | occupation = | spouse = | children = | relatives = see Munster family | residence = 1313 Mockingbird Lane, Mockingbird Heights | nationality = American (possibly formerly Romanian) | imdb_id = 0037219 }}
Marilyn Munster (birth name unknown) is a fictional character in the CBS sitcom The Munsters, played by Pat Priest (and Beverley Owen for a short while). The daughter of Lily Munster's sister, Marilyn is the only normal member of the Munster family. The role was later played by Hilary Van Dyke in The Munsters Today.
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[edit] Description
Played first by Beverley Owen and then by Pat Priest, Marilyn lives with the Munsters through the show's run. The reason Marilyn lives with the Munsters is not explained in the series. Although she is Lily's niece, she is always referred to as "Marilyn Munster". (While the character was being developed, her name was Marilyn Mundane.)
The definite black-sheep of the family, Marilyn is a fetching young blonde resembling Marilyn Monroe, and the only family member who is not ghoulish in appearance. The family is vaguely ashamed of their relationship to such a homely person. Although they treat her with kindness, even Marilyn is aware of her "plain-ness". She bemoans that she keeps scaring off potential boyfriends, having no clue that the young men are frightened away by her oddball family. She attends Westbury College.
Despite standing out amongst the cast more than any other character, Marilyn was the least developed character in the series. She was never the main character in any episode, and she usually acted as a catalyst for Herman and Grandpa's antics.
[edit] Production
Marilyn was originally played by Beverley Owen, who was 30 years old at the time and had to wear a blonde wig to resemble Marilyn Monroe. Convinced that the show would never succeed, she accepted the role of Marilyn, but her problems started when she had to move out of New York. On occasions, she was seen depressed and even crying in the studios. The role was taken over in episode 14 by Pat Priest after Owen left to marry Jon Stone. According to Al Lewis in a 2001 interview with Pittsburgh radio's Doug Hoerth, Beverley Owen was troubled by the separation from her boyfriend, who stayed in New York City, and on petitions from Al Lewis and Fred Gwynne was let go by the studio. Pat Priest's resemblance to that of Owen's was so uncanny, few people noticed that the role was played by another actress. It also helped the studio in that she was Owen's size and so fit into her wardrobe. In Munster, Go Home, she is portrayed by Debbie Watson.
[edit] In other media
In Here Come the Munsters, Marilyn is the daughter of Herman's sister (Elsa). In this version her name is said to be Marilyn Hyde.
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