VIP Profile

Marilyn Monroe

Real Name: Norma Jeane Mortenson

BornJune 1, 1926

DiedAugust 5, 1962

Age at Death36

BirthplaceLos Angeles, California, U.S.

ProfessionActress, Model, Singer, Producer

Active Years1945–1962

Bio

Marilyn Monroe remains one of the most enduring sex symbols and iconic figures of the 20th century. Born into a troubled childhood in Los Angeles, she rose from a foster home system to become a global sensation. After working as a model, she signed her first film contract with Twentieth Century-Fox in 1946. Overcoming early typecasting, Monroe became a master of comedic timing and dramatic vulnerability, embodying the "dumb blonde" persona with a knowing, radiant charm. Signature films include Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), How to Marry a Millionaire (1953), The Seven Year Itch (1954), and the critically acclaimed Bus Stop (1956).

In 1955, she formed her own production company, Marilyn Monroe Productions, a bold move that defied the studio system. She won a Golden Globe for Best Actress for Some Like It Hot (1959), one of the greatest comedies ever made. Known for her breathy voice, platinum blonde hair, and performances of "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" and "I Wanna Be Loved By You," she was also a dedicated student of acting, studying under Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio.

Her personal life—including high-profile marriages to Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller, alleged affairs with John F. Kennedy, and her tragic death from a barbiturate overdose at age 36—transformed her into a tragic martyr of celebrity culture. Decades later, Monroe’s image remains a multi-billion dollar brand, representing both Hollywood glamour and the dark cost of fame.

Accomplishments

1959 - 2013 Movie: Some Like It Hot

Genre: Crime Comedy
Co-Stars: Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, George Raft, Joe E. Brown
Summary: Widely considered one of the greatest comedies of all time, this film stars Monroe as Sugar Kane, a naive, ukulele-playing singer with a drinking problem who performs with an all-female jazz band. Two struggling musicians, Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (Jack Lemmon), witness the St. Valentines Day Massacre in 1929 Chicago and flee for their lives by disguising themselves as women and joining the same band on a train to Florida.

1956 - 2013 Movie: Bus Stop

Genre: Romantic Drama
Co-Stars: Don Murray, Arthur O Connell, Betty Field, Eileen Heckart
Summary: In her first dramatic role after studying at the Actors Studio, Monroe plays Cherie, a weary, insecure chanteuse at a dingy nightclub in Phoenix, Arizona. A naive and arrogant young cowboy named Bo (Don Murray) sees her perform and immediately decides she is the angel he will marry and take back to his Montana ranch. When she refuses, he literally throws her over his shoulder and drags her onto a bus headed for Montana.

1953 - 2013 Movie: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

Genre: Musical Comedy
Co-Stars: Jane Russell, Charles Coburn, Elliott Reid
Summary: Lorelei Lee (Monroe) and Dorothy Shaw (Jane Russell) are two showgirls and best friends sailing from New York to Paris. Lorelei is a gold-digging blonde engaged to the wealthy but weak-willed Gus Esmond, whose father disapproves of her. While Dorothy pursues the Olympic male swimming team onboard for fun, Lorelei sets her sights on a private detective hired to spy on her and a wealthy diamond mine owner.