These Rare Photographs Shed A New Light On Marilyn Monroe’s Life
Before Marilyn Monroe became one of Hollywood’s most iconic stars, she was a regular girl called Norma Jeane Mortenson. Back then, she had brown, curly hair, and her prospects looked much the same as those of many other young women of the era: get married, be a housewife, and have a family. Instead, she went on to become the biggest sex symbol the world had ever seen. On the outside, Marilyn was sexy, confident, and glamorous. But underneath it all, it seems she never stopped being that vulnerable girl from L.A. These rare photos reveal just that.
Getting ready
Marilyn's early life was a very far cry from the glitz and glamor of Hollywood, marked out as it was by poverty and abuse. And while her beauty and comedic talents helped her to break away from her difficult past, fame would turn out to come at its own price. Here she is being helped into a swimsuit for Independence Day.
Two different people
Apparently, Marilyn struggled under the spotlight and saw her real self and her on-screen persona as two totally different people. There’s a well-known anecdote about her strolling with a pal through New York, hiding from paparazzi with a scarf over her head. Turning to her friend, Marilyn supposedly said, “Do you want me to be her? Watch.” Then she undid her jacket, removed the shawl, and went into the iconic Marilyn Monroe strut. After that, it’s said she was accosted by fans within seconds.
Not the Marilyn we know
And while Marilyn was undeniably beautiful, she was also a talented actress. The ditzy blonde whom she portrayed in many movies was apparently not at all reflective of her true personality, either. You see, Marilyn not only loved to read, but she also reportedly owned hundreds of books. According to fellow actress Shelley Winters, the sex symbol was attracted to smart men, too.
Marilyn and Arthur
Marilyn’s third husband, Arthur Miller, was certainly an intellectual. In fact, the media mocked the couple when they married in 1956, with Variety running the wry headline “Egghead Weds Hourglass.” And many found it hard to believe that the blonde bombshell and the writer could possibly make a good match. Unfortunately, they were proved more or less right.
