When Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) is making a movie in London, young Colin Clark, an eager film student, navigates himself a job on the set. When film star Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams) arrives for the start of shooting, all of London is excited to see the blonde bombshell. While Olivier is struggling to meet her many demands and acting ineptness, Colin is intrigued by her, and Marilyn surprisingly invites him into her inner world where she struggles with her fame, her beauty and her desire to be a great actress.