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Marilyn Monroe
Starring in Some Like It Hot and becoming an enduring Hollywood icon.
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes · Some Like It Hot
- Born
- 1 June 1926
- Birthplace
- Los Angeles, California, United States
- Died
- 4 August 1962
More people
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actor whose comic timing and vulnerability complicated her glamorous public image. Her short career included musicals, comedies and increasingly ambitious dramatic work.
Early life
Unsettled childhood
Born Norma Jeane Mortenson and spent time in foster homes and an orphanage.
Factory to modelling
Was photographed while working in wartime aircraft production and began modelling.
Career
- 1946
First studio contract
Signed with Twentieth Century-Fox.
- 1950s
Leading roles
Rose from supporting appearances to major Hollywood comedies.
- 1955 onwards
Creative independence
Formed a production company and studied at the Actors Studio.
Selected work
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Played showgirl Lorelei Lee.
Some Like It Hot
Played singer Sugar Kane in Billy Wilder’s comedy.
The Misfits
A dramatic role as a recently divorced woman.
Beyond work
Marriage
Her marriages included those to Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller.
Public image
Her celebrity and early death often overshadow discussion of her acting.
Sources & photo credit
Biography ↗Life and work ↗Photo: Bert Parry. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
