Marilyn Monroe was active from 1952-1958.
Marilyn Monroe ( born Norma Jeane Mortenson ; June 1 , 1926 -- August 5 , 1962 ) was an American actress and model . Famous for playing comic `` dumb blonde '' characters , she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s , emblematic of the era 's attitudes towards sexuality . She was briefly suspended in early 1954 for refusing a film project , but returned to star in one of the biggest box office successes of her career , The Seven Year Itch ( 1955 ) .