Known for playing comic " blonde bombshell " characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the s and early s, as well as an emblem of the era's sexual revolution. Born in Los Angeles County, Monroe spent most of her childhood in a total of twelve foster homes and an orphanage before marrying James Dougherty at age sixteen. She was working in a factory during World War II when she met a photographer from the First Motion Picture Unit and began a successful pin-up modeling career, which led to film contracts with 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures.
Monroe faced a scandal when it was revealed that she had posed for nude photographs prior to becoming a star, but the story resulted in increased interest in her films. By , Monroe was one of the most marketable Hollywood stars. She had leading roles in the film noir Niagara , which overtly relied on her sex appeal, and the comedies Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and How to Marry a Millionaire , which established her star image as a " dumb blonde ".
The same year, her nude images were used as the centerfold and cover of the first issue of Playboy. Monroe played a significant role in the creation and management of her public image, but felt disappointed when typecast and underpaid by the studio.
She was briefly suspended in early for refusing a film project but returned to star in The Seven Year Itch , one of the biggest box office successes of her career. When the studio was still reluctant to change Monroe's contract, she founded her own film production company in with her friend Milton Greene. She dedicated to building the company and began studying method acting under Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio.
Later that year, Fox awarded her a new contract, which gave her more control and a larger salary. Her last completed film was the drama The Misfits Monroe's troubled private life received much attention. Her marriages to retired baseball star Joe DiMaggio and to playwright Arthur Miller were highly publicized; both ended in divorce. On August 4, , she died at age 36 of an overdose of barbiturates at her Los Angeles home. Her death was ruled a probable suicide.
