Marilyn Monroe is more than a fashion and sex icon for people all over the world – she is a global obsession. Despite the fact that so many people spend their lives learning about this beautiful model and actress, there are still some facts that very few people know. Here, we present 15 things you probably didn’t know about Marilyn Monroe. Check out part one below, and stay tuned for part two, coming soon!
Number Fifteen: She Wasn’t Paid Very Well. While co-star Jane Russell was paid handsomely for her role in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Monroe was paid about one-tenth of what Russell made. Today, Monroe’s estate rakes in approximately $500,000 each year.
Number Fourteen: She Wasn’t Very Good at Learning Lines. It took Monroe 60 tries before she could deliver the line “It’s me, Sugar” in Some Like it Hot. She struggled with learning even the simplest of lines.
Number Thirteen: She Was Playboy’s First Sweetheart. In 1953, Monroe became Playboy’s first Sweetheart of the Month. The award was later changed to Playmate of the Month.
Number Twelve: Hugh Hefner Plans to Be Buried Next to Her. Monroe is buried at the Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles, and the vaults surrounding hers are quite prized. Hugh Heffner bought the vault directly next to Monroe in 1992 for the price of 50,000 pounds.
Number Eleven: She Is a Woman of Many Names. Monroe’s birth certificate reads Norma Jeane Mortenson; however, when she was baptized, her name was Norma Jeane Baker. She later modeled under the names Jean Norman and Mona Monroe, and her first idea for a screen name was Jean Adair. She was also recorded signing into hotels under the names Zelda Zonk and she also signed into a psychiatric clinic under the name Faye Miller. She didn’t change her name to Marilyn Monroe until 1956.
Number Ten: She Had 11 Sets of Foster Parents. After Monroe’s mother, Gladys, was institutionalized, she went through 11 whole sets of foster parents. She also spent close to a year in Los Angeles’ Children’s Aid Society Orphanage.
Number Nine: Her Favorite Artist Was Goya. According to Monroe, Goya was her favorite artist. Of his art, she said, “I know this man very well, we have the same dreams. I have had the same dreams since I was a child.”