Natasha Lytess

Natasha Lytess (born 16 May 1911, Berlin, Germany – died 12 May 1963, Zurich, Switzerland) was an actress, writer and drama coach. Born Natalia Postmann and also known as Tala Forman, she had studied with the director Max Reinhardt and appeared in the repertory theater.

When the Nazis came to power, and in light of her Jewish heritage, she moved to the United States and settled in Los Angeles. Among her acting credits were appearances in Comrade X (1940), Once Upon a Honeymoon (1942), and The House on Telegraph Hill (1951). In her career as a drama coach, her students included Mamie Van Doren, Virginia Leith, and Ann Savage (who reputedly got her stage name after a particularly "savage" argument with Lytess). Lytess is known best for her partnership with actress Marilyn Monroe from 1948 to 1956. During her time as a drama coach for Columbia Pictures, Lytess was shown Monroe's screen test and convinced the head of Columbia Pictures to hire Monroe for a six-month contract. Lytess coached Marilyn through more than 20 films before their partnership began to deteriorate. She died of cancer four days before her 52nd birthday in Zurich, Switzerland. She was portrayed by Lindsay Crouse in Norma Jeane & Marilyn, and by Embeth Davidtz in The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe.