Marilyn Monroe was a performer.
Marilyn Monroe ( born Norma Jeane Mortenson ; June 1 , 1926 -- August 5 , 1962 ) was an American actress and model . After a critically acclaimed performance in Bus Stop ( 1956 ) and acting in the first independent production of MMP , The Prince and the Showgirl ( 1957 ) , she won a Golden Globe for Best Actress for Some Like It Hot ( 1959 ) . Her last completed film was the drama The Misfits ( 1961 ) . The Misfits is a 1961 American drama film written by Arthur Miller , directed by John Huston , and starring Clark Gable , Marilyn Monroe and Montgomery Clift .