Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, model, and singer, who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s and early 1960s.
After spending much of her childhood in foster homes, Monroe began a career as a model, which led to a film contract in 1946 with Twentieth Century-Fox. Her early film appearances were minor, but her performances in
The Asphalt Jungle and
All About Eve (both 1950) drew attention. By 1952 she had her first leading role in
Don't Bother to Knock In 2009, TV Guide Network named her No. 1 in
Film's Sexiest Women of All Time.