Marilyn Monroe worked with a company.
Marilyn Monroe . The work led to short-lived film contracts with Twentieth Century-Fox ( 1946 -- 1947 ) and Columbia Pictures ( 1948 ) . After a series of minor film roles , she signed a new contract with Fox in 1951 . When the studio was still reluctant to change her contract , Monroe founded a film production company in late 1954 ; she named it Marilyn Monroe Productions ( MMP ) . She dedicated 1955 to building her company and began studying method acting at the Actors Studio .