Marilyn Monroe

"I don't mind making jokes, but I don't want to look like one." ~ Marilyn

Marilyn Monroe was born Norma Jeane Baker on June 1, 1926, in Los Angeles, California. She never knew her father and her mother was mentally ill. Marilyn spent most of her childhood in orphanages and foster homes she was sexually abused. At age sixteen she married her neighbor, James Dougherty. After their divorce in 1946 she dyed her hair blond and began modeling. Marilyn appeared on hundreds of magazine covers and often posed nude to earn extra money. She started dating Hollywood agent Johnny Hyde who helped her get small roles in The Asphalt Jungle and All About Eve. He also convinced her to have cosmetic surgery on her nose and chin. When Johnny died in 1950 Marilyn was so distraught she attempted suicide. She was offered a contract with 20th Century Fox and landed the lead roles in Niagara and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Critics dismissed her as a dumb blonde but audiences made her the most popular actress in Hollywood. Marilyn made headlines when she married baseball player Joe DiMaggio in 1954. The marriage lasted just nine months but they remained close friends. She also enjoyed brief romances with Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando.

Marilyn wanted to become a serious actress so she moved to New York and began studying with Lee Strasberg. She formed her own production company and worked with Laurence Olivier in The Prince And The Showgirl. Marilyn married playwright Arthur Miller in 1956. She desperately wanted to be a mother but suffered several miscarriages. It's rumored that when she was young Marilyn has numerus abortions. In 1959 she starred in the comedy Some Like It Hot which became the biggest hit of her career . While making Let's Make Love in 1960 she had an affair with her costar Yves Montand. Marilyn divorced Arthur in 1961 and was hospitalized after suffering nervous breakdown. By this time Marilyn had a serious drinking problem and she was addicted to prescription drugs. In the spring of 1962 she began filming Something's Got To Give. After missing numerous days of work she was fired. There were also rumors that she was having an affair with President John Kennedy and his brother Robert Kennedy. On August 5, 1962, Marilyn died from an overdose of prescription drugs. She was just thirty-six years old. Her death was ruled a suicide but many believe it was either an accident or murder. Marilyn is buried at Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles, California.