Jane Wilson looks at the star’s legacy.
As Marilyn Monroe’s 100th birthday approaches on 1 June, her legacy offers time to reflect on her beauty, identity and fame.
Decades after her untimely death at 36, Marilyn’s charm, wit and star power still light up screens and hearts around the globe. Marilyn achieved stardom while shaping one of the most recognisable beauty identities of the 20th century.
She had a deliberate approach to beauty. Known for applying a layer of Vaseline to her face before foundation to create a glowing base, alongside a skincare routine prescribed by dermatologist Erno Laszlo. Her love of Chanel No.5 became central to her image, while her sleep routine highlighted an understanding of beauty as restorative. Self-described as having a languorous disposition, she embraced a relaxing, slow morning in bed, taking two hours to get up some days.
Beyond her beauty regimes, Marilyn Monroe established a career as a model and actress. While working at a munitions factory, a photographer scouted her. After her modelling shoots took off, she enrolled in drama classes, fuelled by her passion for acting.
Signed to Twentieth Century Fox, she began moving away from cameos to larger roles in films. By 1953, she had already secured speaking roles in notable films, including All About Eve, The Asphalt Jungle, and Niagara. Marilyn’s remarkable performance in Niagara as Rose Loomis pushed her to further success in the industry. These films opened the door to lead roles and accolades, including Photoplay magazine’s 1953 “Fastest Rising Star” award and their 1954 “Most Popular Female Star” recognition.
She was nominated for two British Academy Awards and won Best Actress in a Comedy at the 1959 Golden Globe Awards for her work in Some Like It Hot, demonstrating a range that extended beyond her modelling career.
Spaces across Los Angeles continue to offer insight into Marilyn Monroe’s life, with exhibitions and memorabilia that honour her legacy as a Hollywood pioneer.
The Academy Museum’s ‘Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon’
‘Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon’ is an exhibition, opening on 31 May 2026, that celebrates Marilyn Monroe as a visionary actor and image-maker, examining the many facets of how she created and shaped her public image within the context of the classical Hollywood studio system.
The exhibition will display hundreds of original objects, including posters, portraits, photographs, production documents, letters, and personal materials, giving insight into her agency in becoming a Hollywood icon.
‘Marilyn: The Immersive Experience’
‘Marilyn: The Immersive Experience’, a 16-week experience beginning from May, is an interactive, cinematic journey through the life of Marilyn, built by fans, for fans. This features rare film footage, personal stories and multisensory rooms inspired by her iconic moments.
The following places played a part in her life:
The Hollywood Roosevelt
The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel was Marilyn Monroe’s home for two years, just as her modelling career began to take off. Monroe stayed in one of the vintage 1950s cabanas at the time of her first professional magazine shoot, which took place at the Roosevelt’s Tropicana Pool. The 750 square-foot Marilyn Monroe Suite features a loft-like open floor plan, a kitchenette and a balcony that overlooks the pool.
The Beverly Hills Hotel
Another hotel associated with Marilyn is the Beverly Hills Hotel, where she lived several times during her career. Her last stay at the “Pink Palace” was during the filming of Let’s Make Love in 1960. Marilyn and her husband, playwright Arthur Miller, who re-wrote the script without a credit, stayed in a bungalow during production. The couple lived adjacent to her co-star Yves Montand and his wife, Simone Signoret, who had just won the Best Actress Oscar for Room at the Top.
The Hollywood Museum
Dedicated to the history and heritage of Hollywood and the entertainment industry, the museum includes Max Factor’s make-up rooms, where Marilyn Monroe became a blonde and Lucille Ball became a redhead. The museum’s Marilyn Monroe collection includes personal items, wardrobe pieces and her limousine. Marilyn Monroe’s million-dollar honeymoon dress is one of the most memorable items on display at the Hollywood Museum. Monroe wore it on her honeymoon when she married Joe DiMaggio, as well as when she entertained troops in Korea in 1954.
The TCL Chinese Theatre
Marilyn Monroe had an acclaimed career in film and popular culture, acting in blockbuster hits such as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), co-starring Jane Russell. Thanks to the film’s success, Monroe and Russell were invited to put their signatures, hand and shoe prints into cement at the famed Forecourt of the Stars at the TCL Chinese Theatre, then known as Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.
Paramount Studios
Marilyn filmed at the Century City FOX Studio Lot, including Love Nest and How to Marry a Millionaire. Although the FOX Studio Lot does not offer public tours, Paramount Studios is nearby for a look behind the scenes.
As a child, Marilyn lived in the Los Angeles Orphans Home Society, where it is said she would look out of her window at the water tower of RKO Studios and dream of stardom. RKO Studios has transformed into Paramount Studios, so while she did not film directly on the lot, it is linked to her early career in acting.
The Paramount Studio Tour provides a glimpse back at the real history of Hollywood and the chance to spot live productions taking place today, with tours available to the public daily. Their lots include the New York Street backlot, seen in The Truman Show and Seinfeld, as well as Soundstages and Bronson Gate locations.
The Formosa Café
The Formosa Cafe sits next door to The Lot, a studio previously known as the Warner Hollywood Studio, Samuel Goldwyn Studio and United Artists Studio. Branded as the place “where the stars dine,” the Formosa interior is lined with hundreds of autographed photos of its famous patrons, a galaxy of legendary stars, including Marilyn. Other Hollywood legends who have dined at Formosa include Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, James Dean, Humphrey Bogart, Marlon Brando and Elizabeth Taylor. The Formosa completed its $2.4-million renovation in June 2019 and is open for the public to dine at.
‘Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon’ opens on 31 May 2026 in LA.
