Marilyn Burns was born in Erie, Pennsylvania on July 5, 1956, and was one of the original 'Scream Queens', remembered primarily for her role in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Her follow-up appearance was in Hooper's _Eaten Alive (1976)_ , where she played a vacationer who unwittingly stumbles upon a hotel run by a madman who feeds his guests to his pet alligator.

Marilyn earned her 'Scream Queen' status by starring in other horror movies; Caution, Children at Play, Future-Kill. In 1976 she appeared in the TV-movie Helter Skelter, and her role as Linda Kasabian, the Charles Manson follower whose testimony helped lead to the convictions of the cult leader and many of his followers, was worthy of viewing.

In 1994 Marilyn had an uncredited cameo role as a patient on a gurney in The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.