Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962): One of the few movie stars to be elevated to the status of an icon, Monroe worked her way to stardom playing dimwitted sexpots who were smarter than the men who pursued them, but she fell victim to her screen image. Marilyn once said: “Hollywood's a place where they'll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul. I know, because I turned down the first offer often enough and held out for the fifty.”