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Monroe's real name was Norma Jean Baker. She was illegitimate, and
her mother had psychiatric problems, so she was brought up in an
orphanage and in foster homes. She married a sailor at 15, but was
divorced four years later, by which time she had become a model
#
In the early 
Fifties, Hollywood 
liked its stars to 
be clean and 
wholesome. 
Monroe's rather 
sleazy history 
almost brought 
her short career to
a sudden halt. 
But Marilyn's 
artless honesty 
meant her early 
indiscretions 
were forgiven
#
When she became 
a star, Monroe's 
huge appeal lay 
partly in her 
contradictions: 
sex symbol and 
serious actress, 
wife to America's 
most famous 
sportsman and 
then to its 
best playwright, 
Marilyn was
"bright enough to 
play the dumb 
blonde role to 
perfection."
#
Depression and 
drug dependence, 
as well as 
divorce, all 
afflicted Monroe 
towards the end 
of her life. At that 
time, she was 
regarded as a 
difficult person; 
after her death 
from an overdose 
of barbiturates, at 
the age of 36, she 
became a tragic 
figure, whose 
unhappy life was 
shrouded by the
glitz and glamor 
of Hollywood 

#
Thirty years after 
she died, Monroe 
is still a star, and 
still makes news. 
She was immort-
alised by Andy 
Warhol, aped by 
Madonna and 
honoured by the 
US postal service 
(in 1995 she 
became the first 
film star to 
appear on a 
postage stamp). 
More than 70 
books have been 
written about her 
since her death
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Monroe's first
glimpse of
showbiz was
as a model, 
chosen by an 
Army photo-
grapher in1944 
to pose for 
pin-up pictures. 
This led to a 
contract with 
Twentieth-
Century Fox, in 
1946. After 
several minor 
film roles, she 
began to make an 
impact in The 
Asphalt Jungle 
and All About 
Eve, both in 1950
#
Monroe said: "Success came to me in a rush." By 1952 she was the
most popular actress of the year, chosen by American moviegoers.
The same year, alongside Jane Russell, she put her handprint on the 
sidewalk of fame, outside Graumman's Theatre in Los Angeles
#
The leading role 
in The Seven Year 
Itch (and her
marriage to 
baseball star Joe 
DiMaggio) gave 
Monroe worldwide 
celebrity; but 
Monroe sought 
respect as an 
actress, too. 
She studied at 
the Actor's Studio
 in New York, and 
won critical 
acclaim for her 
role in the film
Bus Stop
#
Some Like It Hot and Let's Make Love, were among Marilyn's most
successful films. The latter was made with Yves Montand - shown
here with his wife, Simone Signoret and Monroe's husband, Arthur
Miller (far left)
#
Monroe was fired 
from the set of 
Something's Got 
to Give for her 
wayward 
behaviour: she 
had turned up for 
only 12 of her 32 
days' shooting. 
The studio said
it was going
to sue her for 
$750,000 in 
damages. But 
two months 
later Marilyn
Monroe was dead
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Monroe married 
Joe DiMaggio 
in 1954. "I 
wonder if I can 
take all your 
crazy publicity", 
he said. He 
couldn't - he 
particularly 
objected to the 
billowing-skirt 
scene from The 
Seven Year Itch. 
Nine months 
later they were
divorced, but 
they remained 
lifelong friends
#
Monroe's third 
husband was the 
famous American 
playwright, 
Arthur Miller. 
One US paper 
headlined the 
announcement of 
their marriage: 
"Egghead weds 
hourglass". Asked 
what the secret 
was of Miller's 
appeal, Monroe 
said: "Everything. 
Haven't you seen 
him?"
#
After her death, rumours spread that Monroe had had affairs with
both John Kennedy (centre) and his brother Robert (far left). A friend, 
the actor Peter Lawford, claimed that she told him to "Say goodbye
to Jack" (President Kennedy) on the night of her death
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The Kennedy 
connection led to 
speculation about 
Monroe's suicide 
- and to the 
allegation that 
she had in fact 
been murdered, 
to cover up her 
relationship with 
the president