THE BOY WHO WAS MARILYN

NOW IN PRE-DEVELOPMENT WITH NEW MANAGEMENT!

INVESTER WILL MATCH DONATIONS UP TO $25,000.00!

Project: THE BOY WHO WAS MARILYN

Genre: Documentary/LGBTQ+ History/It Gets Better/Performing Arts

Status: Pre-Development

Synopsis:

The Boy Who Was Marilyn is the untold story of a groundbreaking, award winning performer who didn’t just impersonate Marilyn Monroe, he became her. From the smoky gay clubs of the 1980s & 90s to national television fame, Jimmy James captivated audiences around the world with a hauntingly accurate vocal and visual recreation of Hollywood’s most iconic star. But behind the glamour and glitter lay a deeper story of identity, artistry, and resilience.

This intimate documentary will trace James’s rise from a young gay boy in small town Texas, who contemplated suicide, to an international entertainment sensation.

Through rare archival footage, never-before-seen home videos, personal photographs, and candid interviews, we will explore how

James’ embodiment of Monroe became a lifeline, proving that your truth can lead to survival, success, and self-acceptance.

For James, not only did it get better… it became iconic.

Featuring commentary from LGBTQ+ historians, fellow performers, cultural critics, and James himself, the film will dive into the complexity of illusion and will be a portrait of reinvention, resilience and the power of identity, both, onstage and off.

Biography:

Jimmy James is a shape-shifting virtuoso whose voice, vision, and artistry have redefined the

boundaries of drag, vocal performance, and live entertainment.

Long before drag hit primetime, he captivated global audiences with his breathtaking portrayal of Marilyn Monroe. And, in doing so, transformed what was once subversive into something

undeniable, inspiring future generations to step into the light he helped to create.

Though he retired the Marilyn act in 1997, an era he calls “impossible to duplicate”, James remains celebrated as one of the greatest celebrity impressionists the world has ever seen. From Cher to Elvis, Adele to Barbra Streisand, Judy Garland to Liza Minelli, James doesn’t just mimic, he embodies, using his gifted vocal prowess to move seamlessly between legends.

His talent is not limited to impressions. As a singer-songwriter and recording artist, James made an unexpected but monumental mark on pop culture with his self-penned dance anthem “Fashionista.”

At its peak, the song landed on Billboard's Top 10 Dance Charts and later went viral with over 35 million YouTube views bolstered by fan-made tribute videos.

The song’s infectious celebration of fashion and identity has been licensed for film and television and become a global dance anthem in the process.

James’s accolades are as colorful as his career. He was the first drag performer to grace a Times Square billboard (alongside supermodel Linda Evangelista), performed for icons like Elton John,

Whoopi Goldberg, and Bob Mackie, and appeared on national talk shows such as Donahue, Geraldo, Joan Rivers, and Sally Jesse Raphael during a time when drag was far from mainstream.

Now, with this documentary in development about his Marilyn years, new music in the works, and a new one man show on the horizon, James proves that true icons only shine brighter with time.

Always reinventing, always unforgettable, he is not just an entertainer. He’s a living archive of queer history, a master impressionist, and a dazzling original in a world of copies.

The ONE & MANY JIMMY JAMES...catch him if you can!