“‘I am good, but not an angel. I do sin, but I am not the devil. I am just a small girl in a big world trying to find someone to love’” (1). Marilyn Monroe, model, actress, singer and one of the most famous women of the twentieth century. Marilyn was born and baptised as Norma Jeane Baker, on June 1st 1926. Monroe had a difficult childhood, she spent most of her time in foster homes and orphanages (2). She never knew who her father was, she only met her half-sister a handful of times and her mother developed psychiatric problems and was hospitalized eventually being put into a mental institution. How could a girl with no family be so successful?
Marilyn’s mother never wanted to own her, and shortly after her mother was hospitalized, Marilyn left her home and went into the foster care system. For a short time, Grace, a family friend took Marilyn in and cared for her, but when Grace’s husband had to move up the east coast for his job, Marilyn was left behind (2). Having nowhere to go she returned to life in foster homes. For nine years Marilyn was abused in many ways, but she found out that the only way to escape was to get married. At the age of 16 she married her boyfriend Jimmy Dougherty, but being a merchant marine Jimmy was sent to the South Pacific (6). Marilyn went to work in a munitions factory in Burbank where she was discovered by a photographer who was passing through town (6). That photographer took one look at Marilyn, and saw she was a beautiful, hard working girl and knew she would be a perfect model. This was a dream come true for Marilyn, who always wanted to be a model/actor. Monroe had a successful career as a model in 1946, and that was around the time that she changed her name officially to Marilyn Monroe (previously Norma Jeane Baker). She did this to prep for her acting career.
In 1946 after Marilyn’s divorce with Dougherty she signed her first movie contract. Sadly her acting career didn’t launch until 1950 when she played a small part in The Asphalt Jungle (3). That same year she impressed audiences with her part in All About Eve (3). Later Marilyn starred in five more films which helped her to receive various honors and attracting large audiences. Monroe became an international star but soon grew tired of dumb blonde roles, so she moved to New York where she returned to the screen in a comedy film. Later she earned the honor of “Best Actress in Comedy” at the 1959 Golden Globe awards (2). In 1961 Marilyn starred in The Misfits, her last completed film, and in 1962 she was dismissed from filming Something’s Got To Give (2). The reason for this is because Monroe suffered from pre-performance anxiety. This made her incredibly ill, making her late to shows and making her miss some filming days altogether. This was, sadly, the reason for the end of Marilyn Monroe’s acting career.
On August 5, 1962, at age 36, Marilyn Monroe died in her home in Los Angeles (6). There are many rumors on to how and why she died, the most common being, suicide, murder, or a drug overdose but no one knows exactly what happened (2). During her career, Marilyn’s films received over $200 million. Today she is still considered the world’s most popular icon of beauty, and she is remembered for her sense of humor and wit (2). Marilyn Monroe has been imitated by many celebrities including Madonna, Lady GaGa, and Gwen Stefani, and has also been portrayed in a few films. More than twenty books have been published about her; one being a book on rarely seen photographs of Marilyn, taken by famous photographer, Sam Shaw (2). It is surprising to think that, now, more than half a century later, the world is still fascinated by her beauty and talent.
Even though Marilyn Monroe’s life was short she accomplished many things. Including, starring in over 30 films, attracting large audiences, and modeling for many magazines and newspapers. Her life showed a broken girl rising to be one of the most famous women of the twentieth century. She was talked about then, now, and will be talked about generations to come. “Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius, and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.”
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