The name Marilyn Monroe is known all over the world. M. Monroe was a movie actress, model, singer and producer, who was born in Los Angeles (LA). This blonde had a beautiful appearance and incredible talent. She was extremely popular in the 50s of the last century. Today we are going to talk about the life story of this legendary woman. Read more about Marilyn at los-angeles-trend.com.
Difficult childhood
The actress’s real name was Norma Jeane Mortenson Baker. She first used Marilyn Monroe as a pseudonym. The woman later changed her first and last name.
The future Hollywood star was born in LA. She was the third child of a mother who had been married several times. Gladys Pearl Baker, N. Mortenson’s mother, worked as a film editor at RKO Pictures. She named her third daughter in honor of two great actresses of the 20s, Norma Talmadge and Jean Harlow. But historians note that this was just a legend. The fact is that Hollywood diva Harlean H. Carpenter took the name Jean Harlow only in 1928. N. Mortenson was two years old at the time.
For a long time, the name of the girl’s father was not known for certain. Later, the public learned that he was Charles S. Gifford.
At an early age, Norma Jeane was placed in a foster home by her mother. Ida and Albert Bolender lived in a rural area and raised foster children. They wanted to adopt Norma. Her mother refused. Later, G. Baker began to earn more money and bought a small house in the Hollywood neighborhood. She took her daughter to live with her. But living together with her biological mother did not last long. Gladys was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and hospitalized.
The girl was once again left without the care of her mother. Her mother’s best friend, Grace McKee, became her guardian. It should be noted that Norma had been fond of movies since childhood. She loved to play different scenes and she was good at it. Her guardian tried to develop the girl’s talent. Later, Grace got married and the nine-year-old girl became redundant in the new family. Jeane ends up in an orphanage. Several families wanted to adopt the sweet girl. But the guardian did not allow it.
Norma stayed in the orphanage for two years. Then Grace takes her in. The girl was sexually abused by Grace’s husband. Subsequently, experts note that sexual harassment and violence in childhood led to M. Monroe’s subsequent problems (sleep disorder, addiction to psychotropic drugs, etc.).
Marriage and independent living
While still in high school, Norma starts dating James Dougherty. To avoid another orphanage, the girl leaves school at the age of 16 and marries a boy who is older than her.
The husband of the future star started working in the merchant marine and was often on business trips. In James’s absence, Jeane gradually begins to build a career as a model. At first, she poses for USD 5 an hour. Later, she quit her official job at an aircraft factory and started modeling. Her husband didn’t like this, and they divorced.
Norma started working on her image. She bleached her brown hair and straightened her curls. All because the demand for blonde models was greater.
M. Monroe was extremely hardworking and ambitious. By early 1946, her photos were on 33 covers of various magazines. The woman achieved all this in three years of modeling.
Acting career
In 1946, Norma signed a contract with 20th Century Fox. She was offered several pseudonyms, including Marilyn Miller. They settled on Marilyn Monroe.
In the first few months, Marilyn didn’t get any roles. She worked on her self-improvement instead. She studied acting, worked on her vocals, danced and watched actors play.
A year later, Monroe was given her first two roles. She played a waitress with a few sentences in the drama The Dangerous Years and a small role in the comedy Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! When the contract with the film studio ended, the young actress was unemployed. But Monroe was not used to this, and she started working. The blonde posed nude for photographers.
She kept working on herself. In 1948, she played the lead role in the musical Ladies of the Chorus. But the film was not a huge success among viewers.
M. Monroe’s real breakthrough in her acting career happened in 1950. She starred in six films and became a success. The blonde actress immediately received a seven-year contract with the 20th Century Fox studio. A year later, the woman entered the University of California, LA. The actress studied literature and art. In the same year, the blonde hosted the 23rd Academy Awards.
M. Monroe continued to act in movies and improve her acting skills at the same time. She became popular and received many letters from fans.
Own production company
M. Monroe acted in many different comedies and musicals. Everyone perceived her as a sex symbol. But the actress wanted to play other roles.
In 1954, Monroe terminated her contract with 20th Century Fox. The reason was that she was paid much less than other stars and she couldn’t choose her own projects and colleagues on the set. It was a scandal for the entire film industry.
Later, together with photographer Milton Greene, the actress founded her own production company, Marilyn Monroe Productions.
In 1956, the actress finally reconciled with 20th Century Fox and signed a 7-year deal again. Monroe had the right to choose the project, directors and cinematographers and receive USD 100,000 for each film. Marilyn also starred in films produced by her company.
Was Marilyn Monroe happy?
The actress was officially married three times. All the time she wanted to become not only a wife but also a mother. However, her health condition did not allow it. Marilyn had miscarriages and one ectopic pregnancy. As a result, she had an abortion.
Her second husband was Joe DiMaggio. He was constantly jealous of Marilyn. Their marriage did not last a year. Later, they became good friends.
In 1956, the actress got married for the third time. Her chosen one was the playwright Arthur Miller.
In addition, the woman had many affairs with other men. For example, in 1954, she had a relationship with J. F. Kennedy, who later became president of the United States. The affair lasted six years. Kennedy later became president. There was evidence of their relationship, but they tried to hide the president’s affair with the blonde.
Monroe visited a psychiatrist and was addicted to sleeping pills and barbiturates. In 1962, M. Monroe was found dead in her bedroom. The official version is that it was a suicide due to a drug overdose. Experts note that the woman was prone to panic and depression.
The famous actress is an iconic figure not only for the U.S. but for the whole world. You can admire her, sympathize with her, envy her and be surprised by her… The woman’s life story will not leave anyone indifferent. After all, a girl from a dysfunctional family was able to achieve heights in the film industry and modeling. The renowned woman was extremely hardworking and constantly improved her skills. It’s a pity that her life ended this way. She could have lived and created, acted in films and delighted the audience.
This is the life story of the talented actress and model Marilyn Monroe. It is our hope that our material has been informative for you and that you draw your own conclusions.
