A phenomenon like that that happens only once or twice in a century, Marilyn Monroe has undoubtedly defined what it means to be a “blonde” both during her short career and since her unexpectedly sudden death.
Born as Norma Jean Mortensen on June 1, 1926 in Los Angeles, California, she died again of a drug overdose in the same city on August 5, 1962. Since then she has become a mythical icon like Elvis.
Even today, quite a few female stars compare themselves to MM to highlight their beauty. Non-blonde Italian diva Sophia Loren earned the nickname “Italian Marilyn Monroe” thanks to her Marilyn-like sex appeal.
Monroe appeared in just 31 movies, but left dozens of unforgettable scenes, starting with The Asphalt Jungle (1950). Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), There’s No Business Like Show Business (1954), and Monkey Business (1952) are some of her best-known works.
But Monroe probably reached the zenith of her career with the next 3 movies: The Seven Year Itch (1955) (remember the upskirts scene on the air grill?), Some Like It Hot (1959), and The Misfits ( 1961).
Never nominated for an Oscar, she remains more popular today and more a part of popular culture than many actors who have won the prestigious award.
Did you know these curious facts about Marilyn Monroe?
1. In 1947 she won the Miss California Artichoke Queen beauty pageant.
2. She was featured on the cover of Playboy magazine in 1953 and as a Playboy Playmate in the December 1963 issue. Playboy owner Hugh Hefner bought the vault next to hers to be buried next to the only Marilyn .
3. She had a worldwide reputation as a “blonde bombshell,” but her natural hair color was brown and (good reader) she wore prescription glasses in private.
4. At a 1999 auction, her makeup kit fetched a whopping $266,500.
5. For his first movie Scudda Hoo! Scudda hay! (1948) paid him $75 a week. For The Misfits (1961), he was paid a respectable $250,000.