Marilyn Monroe, born Norma Jeane Mortenson, was an American actress, model, and singer who became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s. Beyond her 'blonde bombshell' image, she was a talented actress who studied at the Actors Studio and starred in classics like 'Some Like It Hot' and 'The Seven Year Itch.' Monroe was also a trailblazing businesswoman, founding her own production company to gain more control over her career and pay. Her personal life, including marriages to Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller, was subject to intense media scrutiny. Her tragic death at age 36 cemented her status as a tragic cultural icon, and she remains a major pop culture reference point for glamour and the pressures of celebrity.