# In 2013, Paul Schrader compared Lindsay Lohan to Marilyn Monroe. He meant it as a compliment

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-2013-paul-schrader-compared-lindsay-lohan-to-marilyn-monroe-he-meant-it-as-a-compliment/
- Published: 2026-10-23T02:30:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-23T03:08:53+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/in-2013-paul-schrader-compared-lindsay-lohan-to-marilyn-monroe-he-meant-it-as-a-compliment/
- Topics: Art, Culture

## Key points

- Schrader likened Lohan’s screen presence to Marilyn Monroe’s.
- He saw their blurred public and acting personas as compelling.
- He later criticised Lohan for missing promotional events.

## Summary

Paul Schrader defended casting Lindsay Lohan in his 2013 film *The Canyons*, comparing her with Marilyn Monroe as a performer whose public life and acting seemed inseparable. He saw that lack of control as part of their appeal, arguing that audiences felt they were witnessing life rather than a performance.

The film, written with Bret Easton Ellis, was financed through Kickstarter and cast partly through social media. Schrader persuaded Ellis to cast Lohan, despite her troubled reputation and past on-set difficulties, while he was initially wary of porn actor James Deen, who played the manipulative producer. Schrader’s defence later seemed less convincing when he criticised Lohan for withdrawing from interviews and missing photo shoots.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.