Name: Marla Singer

Sex: Female

Nationality: American

Marital state: Not known

Hair: Very dark brown

Eyes: Brown-black

Distinctive traits: Very pale skin, bird’s nest hair, sunken eyes

Interests: death and death-like experiences, reality, danger, smoking cigars, destruction

“Marla’s philosophy of life was that she might die at any moment. The tragedy, she said, was that she didn’t.” “Somehow, I realize all of this- the gun, the bombs, the revolution- is really about Marla Singer.”

Marla tries to be all doom and gloom, though really she is searching for an excuse to be happy; being fascinated by death and grim, she seeks out death-like experiences in order to feel more alive.

From having a job at a funeral home, just to feel good about herself, being the only one breathing, afterwards going to support groups to watch people cope with imminent death, her pursuit in end of life experiences seems to be unstoppable. 

Allegedly, Marla feels guilty about not dying, since during all her previous years she has watched people die and she could be described as a manic depressive, since she walks into the road with no care if she gets hit or not and takes a “cry for help thing” overdose of sleeping pills.

Marla does not think highly of herself or having self-esteem, describing with pure honesty herself in third person when the paramedics respond to a call. Marla describes herself as an “infectious human waste”, who is being afraid of growing older, since she will have fewer options.

Neither having faith in herself nor wanting to commit to the wrong, she seems to be hesitant in making decisions, which leads to her not committing to anything, yet she appears to be the only one mentally stable throughout the story. 

Being both tragic and hilarious, Marla’s twisted glamour is as real as her chain-smoking and neurosis. Marla has a heart, compassion and fragility and this, coupled with her brassy cynic, really lifts the emotional timbre of the people around her. 

Marla is the dark female tourist in a bright animal kingdom of men, being a femme fatale and embodying the heterosexual male fantasy; she is a woman who has ‘let go’ of everything.

Who played Marla Singer?

The character of Marla Singer was played by Helena Bonham Carter.

How old is Marla Singer?

Marla appears to be at least 30 years of age. The actress who played her was 29 at the time of filming.

What is Marla’s MBTI type?

The character’s Meyers Briggs personality type would be best categorized as INFP.