50 rare photos of Marilyn Monroe that show another side to the film star

Marilyn Monroe was born in 1926 as Norma Jeane Mortenson and was later baptized as Norma Jeane Baker, according to Biography.

Biography reports that Baker was institutionalized when Norma Jeane was young.

Gladys Baker had two other children from a previous marriage, but neither lived with her.

However, according to Biography, Baker's mother claimed he was a Consolidated studios coworker named Charles Stanley Gifford.

At points in her early life, Baker lived with her mom's sister-in-law and even at the Los Angeles Orphans' Home, according to Biography.

Gladys Baker paid the couple $25 a week to look after her young daughter, according to Biography.

She also endured sexual assaults while in boardinghouses and foster care, according to "Marilyn Monroe: The Private Life of a Public Icon" by Charles Casillo.

Norma Jeane's home life took a turn for the better when she moved into the home of "Aunt Ana," a family friend of the Goddards.

Her mother was released from the psychiatric hospital she was living in and resumed living with her at Aunt Ana's house.

She left because she said she wanted to live with her Aunt Dora in Oregon. Norma Jeane would later discover, according to Biography, that mid-journey, her mother had married again, this time to an already-wed man with children.

The Los Angeles Times reported that the two began dating when Baker was just 15 years old.

"I never knew Marilyn Monroe, and I don't claim to have any insights to her to this day. I knew and loved Norma Jean," Dougherty later told United Press International in 1990, according to the LA Times.

However, she didn't legally change her name until 1956, according to The Atlantic.

According to Biography, a photographer also working there asked if she wouldn't mind having her photo taken. From there, her modeling career was born.

Monroe continued modeling during the 1940s but dreamed of becoming an actress.

In 1946, she and Jim Dougherty divorced. Soon after, she signed with 20th Century Fox under her new stage name.

Here, she poses for her first official studio portrait.

However, she was still a relatively unknown actress.

She's pictured in June 1949, when she presented Photoplay Magazine's "Dream House" contest winner Virginia McAllister and her son with the key to a new house.

Fans became enamored with the blonde bombshell.

Although Monroe's role in the film was small, her performance captured the attention of many viewers.

She can be seen here reading her fan mail.

All three of these films are among her most critically acclaimed movies.

However, Monroe dreamed of becoming a serious actress and playing more dramatic roles.

She also eventually studied at the Actors Studio, Vanity Fair reported.

Marilyn Monroe's rendition of the song "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" in the movie would later be referenced by Madonna in her "Material Girl" music video.

PBS reported that Monroe's films grossed more than $200 million during her brief career.

The film starred the trio as three models looking to land rich husbands in New York City.

According to Biography, her stage fright was so intense she would oftentimes be physically ill and late to set as a result.

However, her career still proved a priority. She left directly from her honeymoon in Japan to perform for American troops stationed in Korea, according to HistoryNet.

Over the course of four days, Monroe performed 10 shows for an estimated 100,000 servicemen.

The scene was highly publicized prior to filming. Scores of photographers, spectators, and DiMaggio himself came to watch Monroe's skirt being blown upwards by a subway grate.

As reported by the New York Post, he reportedly commented, "What the hell is going on here?"

The couple is said to have quarreled over Monroe's fame and the attention she was getting from the press. In November 1954, around a month after the famous scene was filmed, the couple split.

It was considered the most prestigious acting school in the country.

"It's not that I object to doing musicals and comedies — in fact, I rather enjoy them — but I'd like to do dramatic parts too," she said.

The photos capture the excitement of Hollywood's favorite star moving to New York City.

According to "Goddess: The Secret Lives of Marilyn Monroe," he later commented, "I have worked with hundreds and hundreds of actors and actresses, and there are only two that stand out way above the rest. Number one is Marlon Brando, and the second is Marilyn Monroe."

According to Biography, Monroe had known him for years. At the time, however, Miller was married.

On July 1, in a formal Jewish ceremony, acting teacher Lee Strasberg gave Monroe away in front of only 25 guests, according to History Today.

In the above photo, Monroe can be seen waving as the newlyweds went for a drive in Roxbury.

Their wedding rings were inscribed with the words "now is forever."

Monroe was noticeably head over heels in love with Miller.

However, while on location, Monroe reportedly had an affair with a young assistant director named Colin Clark, the Los Angeles Times reported. The love affair was later documented in the film, "My Week With Marilyn," which starred Eddie Redmayne and Michelle Williams.

Monroe blamed herself for her third known miscarriage because she was a frequent pill user and arguably abused them around that time, according to Biography.

Monroe told Lee and Paula Strasberg about what Miller had written in the notebook, saying, "He thought I was some kind of angel but now he guessed he was wrong. That his first wife had let him down, but I had done something worse."

The Pulitzer-winning playwright even dedicated an edition of his collected plays to Monroe in a public display of affection.

The movie was a huge success, and Monroe won the Golden Globe for best comedy actress. However, a couple of months after she'd finished shooting, Monroe had her final miscarriage.

Miller reportedly didn't even object to the affair.

Miller met photographer Inge Morath while working on the film. He would eventually marry her after divorcing Monroe in 1962.

PBS reported that Monroe was fired from her next film, "Something's Gotta Give," for failing to show up to the set numerous times. She was eventually rehired, but the film was never finished. 

On August 5, 1962, the actress died at her Los Angeles residence at the age of 36. The coroner's report cited barbiturate overdose as the cause of death.

However, she remains one of Hollywood's most famous and beloved stars.