Marilyn Monroe was born on June 1, 1926, in Los Angeles, California, United States. She was an American actress, model, singer, and one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as well as an emblem of the era's sexual revolution. She was a cultural icon and one of Hollywood’s biggest box-office draws, with her 30 films grossing over $200 million. She successfully transitioned from a dumb blonde stereotype to an acclaimed actress, winning a Golden Globe for Some Like It Hot. She was a trailblazing businesswoman who founded her own production company in 1955. May these famous Marilyn Monroe quotes and sayings inspire you to become successful as she did.
1. “A wise girl knows her limits, a smart girl knows that she has none.” – Marilyn Monroe
2. “Men who think that a woman's past love affairs lessen her love for them are usually stupid and weak.” – Marilyn Monroe
3. “Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are.” – Marilyn Monroe
4. “A sex symbol becomes a thing. I hate being a thing.” – Marilyn Monroe
5. “I don't forgive people because I'm weak, I forgive them because I am strong enough to know people make mistakes.” – Marilyn Monroe
6. “Your clothes should be tight enough to show you're a woman but loose enough to show you're a lady.” – Marilyn Monroe
7. “A career is born in public—talent in privacy.” – Marilyn Monroe
8. “I don't want to make money, I just want to be wonderful.” – Marilyn Monroe
9. “Men are so willing to respect anything that bores them.” – Marilyn Monroe
-min.jpg "Famous quotes and sayings by Marilyn Monroe")
10. “I'm very definitely a woman and I enjoy it.” – Marilyn Monroe
11. “If I'd observed all the rules, I'd never have got anywhere.” – Marilyn Monroe
12. “First, I'm trying to prove to myself that I'm a person. Then maybe I'll convince myself that I'm an actress.” – Marilyn Monroe
13. “A girl doesn’t need anyone who doesn’t need her.” – Marilyn Monroe
14. “I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best.” – Marilyn Monroe
-min.jpg "Famous quotes and sayings by Marilyn Monroe")
15. “If you're gonna be two-faced at least make one of them pretty.” – Marilyn Monroe
16. “I am good, but not an angel. I do sin, but I am not the devil. I am just a small girl in a big world trying to find someone to love.” – Marilyn Monroe
17. “If you can make a girl laugh, you can make her do anything.” – Marilyn Monroe
18. “Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.” – Marilyn Monroe
19. “When it comes down to it, I let them think what they want. If they care enough to bother with what I do, then I'm already better than them.” – Marilyn Monroe
-min.jpg "Famous quotes and sayings by Marilyn Monroe")
20. “Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world.” – Marilyn Monroe
21. “We should all start to live before we get too old. Fear is stupid. So are regrets.” – Marilyn Monroe
22. “Sometimes good things fall apart, so better things can fall together.” – Marilyn Monroe
23. “I don't know who invented high heels, but all women owe him a lot.” – Marilyn Monroe
24. “I want to grow old without face-lifts. I want to have the courage to be loyal to the face I have made.” – Marilyn Monroe
-min.jpg "Famous quotes and sayings by Marilyn Monroe")
25. “The nicest thing for me is sleep, then at least I can dream.” – Marilyn Monroe
26. “Maybe I’ll never be able to do what I hope to, but at least I have hope.” – Marilyn Monroe
27. “Frankly, I’ve never considered my own figure so exceptional; until quite recently, I seldom gave it any thought at all.” – Marilyn Monroe
28. “I’ve spent most of my life running away from myself.” – Marilyn Monroe
29. “Success makes so many people hate you. I wish it wasn’t that way. It would be wonderful to enjoy success without seeing envy in the eyes of those around you.” – Marilyn Monroe
30. “I don’t mind being burdened with being glamorous and sexual. But what goes with it can be a burden.” – Marilyn Monroe
More Inspirational Marilyn Monroe Quotes about Life
31. “You never know what life is like, until you have lived it.” – Marilyn Monroe
32. “It's often just enough to be with someone. I don't need to touch them. Not even talk. A feeling passes between you both. You're not alone.” – Marilyn Monroe
33. “She was a girl who knew how to be happy even when she was sad. And that’s important.” – Marilyn Monroe
34. “All we demanded was our right to twinkle.” – Marilyn Monroe
35. “The way you carry yourself is influenced by the way you feel inside. You must feel attractive to be attractive.” – Marilyn Monroe
36. “Beneath the makeup and behind the smile I am just a girl who wishes for the world.” – Marilyn Monroe
37. “I’d like to show that I can get publicity without using my ass or getting fired from a picture.” – Marilyn Monroe
38. “All little girls should be told they are pretty, even if they aren't.” – Marilyn Monroe
39. “I dress for men. A woman looks at your clothes critically. A man appreciates them.” – Marilyn Monroe
40. “It's better to be unhappy alone than unhappy with someone—so far.” – Marilyn Monroe
41. “I've never fooled anyone. I've let people fool themselves. They didn't bother to find out who and what I was. Instead they would invent a character for me. I wouldn't argue with them. They were obviously loving somebody I wasn't.” – Marilyn Monroe
42. “A career is wonderful, but you can't curl up with it on a cold night.” – Marilyn Monroe
43. “The real lover is the man who can thrill you by kissing your forehead or smiling into your eyes or just staring into space.” – Marilyn Monroe
44. “I want to do the best that I can do in that moment, when the camera starts, until it stops.” – Marilyn Monroe
45. “All a girl really wants is for one guy to prove to her that they are not all the same.” – Marilyn Monroe
46. “I don't mind making jokes, but I don't want to look like one.” – Marilyn Monroe
47. “Boys think girls are like books, If the cover doesn't catch their eye they won't bother to read what's inside.” – Marilyn Monroe
48. “I don't mind being burdened with being glamorous and sexual. Beauty and femininity are ageless and can't be contrived, and glamour, although the manufacturers won't like this, cannot be manufactured. Not real glamour; it's based on femininity.” – Marilyn Monroe
49. “We are all born sexual creatures, thank God, but it's a pity so many people despise and crush this natural gift.” – Marilyn Monroe
50. “I have feelings too. I am still human. All I want is to be loved, for myself and for my talent.” – Marilyn Monroe
51. “So keep your head high, keep your chin up, and most importantly, keep smiling, because life's a beautiful thing and there's so much to smile about.” – Marilyn Monroe
52. “To all the girls that think you’re fat because you’re not a size zero, you’re the beautiful one, its society who’s ugly.” – Marilyn Monroe
53. “Sometimes you just have to throw on a crown and remind them who they’re dealing with.” – Marilyn Monroe
54. “I don't mind living in a man's world, as long as I can be a woman in it.” – Marilyn Monroe
55. “Fame is like caviar, you know. It's good to have caviar, but not when you have it at every meal.” – Marilyn Monroe
56. “I live to succeed, not to please you or anyone else.” – Marilyn Monroe
57. “Respect is one of life’s greatest treasures. I mean, what does it all add up to if you don’t have that?” – Marilyn Monroe
58. “If there is only one thing in my life that I am proud of, it's that I've never been a kept woman.” – Marilyn Monroe
59. “How wrong it is for a woman to expect the man to build the world she wants, rather than to create it herself.” – Marilyn Monroe
60. “When the conversation is getting shorter with you, it’s getting longer with someone else.” – Marilyn Monroe
61. “I am trying to find myself. Sometimes that's not easy.” – Marilyn Monroe
62. “Dreaming about being an actress, is more exciting then being one.” – Marilyn Monroe
63. “Hollywood is 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 cents.” – Marilyn Monroe
64. “Millions of people live their entire lives without finding themselves. But it is something I must do.” – Marilyn Monroe
65. “I knew I belonged to the public and to the world, not because I was talented or even beautiful, but because I had never belonged to anything or anyone else.” – Marilyn Monroe
66. “One of the best things that ever happened to me is that I'm a woman. That is the way all females should feel.” – Marilyn Monroe
67. “For those who are poor in happiness, each time is a first time; happiness never becomes a habit.” – Marilyn Monroe
68. “I think that sexuality is only attractive when it's natural and spontaneous.” – Marilyn Monroe
69. “A friend tells you what you want to hear; a best friend tells you the truth.” – Marilyn Monroe
70. “Fame doesn't fulfill you. It warms you a bit, but that warmth is temporary.” – Marilyn Monroe
71. “We are all of us stars, and we deserve to twinkle.” – Marilyn Monroe
72. “Always, always, always believe in yourself. Because if you don’t, then who will, sweetie?” – Marilyn Monroe
73. “If you can make a woman laugh, you can make her do anything.” – Marilyn Monroe
74. “A smile is the best makeup a girl can wear.” – Marilyn Monroe
75. “I don't stop when I'm tired. I only stop when I'm done.” – Marilyn Monroe
76. “I've been on a calendar, but never on time.” – Marilyn Monroe
77. “Never regret anything because at one time it was exactly what you wanted.” – Marilyn Monroe
78. “I restore myself when I'm alone.” – Marilyn Monroe
79. “We are all stars but we must learn how to shine.” – Marilyn Monroe
80. “Dogs never bite me. Just humans.” – Marilyn Monroe
81. “I daydream chiefly about beauty. I dreamed of myself becoming so beautiful that people would turn to look at me when I passed.” – Marilyn Monroe
82. “What do I wear in bed? Why, Chanel No. 5, of course.” – Marilyn Monroe
83. “Happiness is the most important thing in the world, without it, you live a life of depression.” – Marilyn Monroe
84. “The happiest time of my life is now.” – Marilyn Monroe
Share these Marilyn Monroe Famous Lines and Phrases with your friends, family, and loved ones to inspire them as well.
2. “Men who think that a woman's past love affairs lessen her love for them are usually stupid and weak.” – Marilyn Monroe
3. “Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are.” – Marilyn Monroe
4. “A sex symbol becomes a thing. I hate being a thing.” – Marilyn Monroe
5. “I don't forgive people because I'm weak, I forgive them because I am strong enough to know people make mistakes.” – Marilyn Monroe
6. “Your clothes should be tight enough to show you're a woman but loose enough to show you're a lady.” – Marilyn Monroe
7. “A career is born in public—talent in privacy.” – Marilyn Monroe
8. “I don't want to make money, I just want to be wonderful.” – Marilyn Monroe
9. “Men are so willing to respect anything that bores them.” – Marilyn Monroe
11. “If I'd observed all the rules, I'd never have got anywhere.” – Marilyn Monroe
12. “First, I'm trying to prove to myself that I'm a person. Then maybe I'll convince myself that I'm an actress.” – Marilyn Monroe
13. “A girl doesn’t need anyone who doesn’t need her.” – Marilyn Monroe
14. “I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best.” – Marilyn Monroe
16. “I am good, but not an angel. I do sin, but I am not the devil. I am just a small girl in a big world trying to find someone to love.” – Marilyn Monroe
17. “If you can make a girl laugh, you can make her do anything.” – Marilyn Monroe
18. “Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.” – Marilyn Monroe
19. “When it comes down to it, I let them think what they want. If they care enough to bother with what I do, then I'm already better than them.” – Marilyn Monroe
21. “We should all start to live before we get too old. Fear is stupid. So are regrets.” – Marilyn Monroe
22. “Sometimes good things fall apart, so better things can fall together.” – Marilyn Monroe
23. “I don't know who invented high heels, but all women owe him a lot.” – Marilyn Monroe
24. “I want to grow old without face-lifts. I want to have the courage to be loyal to the face I have made.” – Marilyn Monroe
26. “Maybe I’ll never be able to do what I hope to, but at least I have hope.” – Marilyn Monroe
27. “Frankly, I’ve never considered my own figure so exceptional; until quite recently, I seldom gave it any thought at all.” – Marilyn Monroe
28. “I’ve spent most of my life running away from myself.” – Marilyn Monroe
29. “Success makes so many people hate you. I wish it wasn’t that way. It would be wonderful to enjoy success without seeing envy in the eyes of those around you.” – Marilyn Monroe
30. “I don’t mind being burdened with being glamorous and sexual. But what goes with it can be a burden.” – Marilyn Monroe
More Inspirational Marilyn Monroe Quotes about Life
31. “You never know what life is like, until you have lived it.” – Marilyn Monroe
32. “It's often just enough to be with someone. I don't need to touch them. Not even talk. A feeling passes between you both. You're not alone.” – Marilyn Monroe
33. “She was a girl who knew how to be happy even when she was sad. And that’s important.” – Marilyn Monroe
34. “All we demanded was our right to twinkle.” – Marilyn Monroe
35. “The way you carry yourself is influenced by the way you feel inside. You must feel attractive to be attractive.” – Marilyn Monroe
36. “Beneath the makeup and behind the smile I am just a girl who wishes for the world.” – Marilyn Monroe
37. “I’d like to show that I can get publicity without using my ass or getting fired from a picture.” – Marilyn Monroe
38. “All little girls should be told they are pretty, even if they aren't.” – Marilyn Monroe
39. “I dress for men. A woman looks at your clothes critically. A man appreciates them.” – Marilyn Monroe
40. “It's better to be unhappy alone than unhappy with someone—so far.” – Marilyn Monroe
41. “I've never fooled anyone. I've let people fool themselves. They didn't bother to find out who and what I was. Instead they would invent a character for me. I wouldn't argue with them. They were obviously loving somebody I wasn't.” – Marilyn Monroe
42. “A career is wonderful, but you can't curl up with it on a cold night.” – Marilyn Monroe
43. “The real lover is the man who can thrill you by kissing your forehead or smiling into your eyes or just staring into space.” – Marilyn Monroe
44. “I want to do the best that I can do in that moment, when the camera starts, until it stops.” – Marilyn Monroe
45. “All a girl really wants is for one guy to prove to her that they are not all the same.” – Marilyn Monroe
46. “I don't mind making jokes, but I don't want to look like one.” – Marilyn Monroe
47. “Boys think girls are like books, If the cover doesn't catch their eye they won't bother to read what's inside.” – Marilyn Monroe
48. “I don't mind being burdened with being glamorous and sexual. Beauty and femininity are ageless and can't be contrived, and glamour, although the manufacturers won't like this, cannot be manufactured. Not real glamour; it's based on femininity.” – Marilyn Monroe
49. “We are all born sexual creatures, thank God, but it's a pity so many people despise and crush this natural gift.” – Marilyn Monroe
50. “I have feelings too. I am still human. All I want is to be loved, for myself and for my talent.” – Marilyn Monroe
51. “So keep your head high, keep your chin up, and most importantly, keep smiling, because life's a beautiful thing and there's so much to smile about.” – Marilyn Monroe
52. “To all the girls that think you’re fat because you’re not a size zero, you’re the beautiful one, its society who’s ugly.” – Marilyn Monroe
53. “Sometimes you just have to throw on a crown and remind them who they’re dealing with.” – Marilyn Monroe
54. “I don't mind living in a man's world, as long as I can be a woman in it.” – Marilyn Monroe
55. “Fame is like caviar, you know. It's good to have caviar, but not when you have it at every meal.” – Marilyn Monroe
56. “I live to succeed, not to please you or anyone else.” – Marilyn Monroe
57. “Respect is one of life’s greatest treasures. I mean, what does it all add up to if you don’t have that?” – Marilyn Monroe
58. “If there is only one thing in my life that I am proud of, it's that I've never been a kept woman.” – Marilyn Monroe
59. “How wrong it is for a woman to expect the man to build the world she wants, rather than to create it herself.” – Marilyn Monroe
60. “When the conversation is getting shorter with you, it’s getting longer with someone else.” – Marilyn Monroe
61. “I am trying to find myself. Sometimes that's not easy.” – Marilyn Monroe
62. “Dreaming about being an actress, is more exciting then being one.” – Marilyn Monroe
63. “Hollywood is 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 cents.” – Marilyn Monroe
64. “Millions of people live their entire lives without finding themselves. But it is something I must do.” – Marilyn Monroe
65. “I knew I belonged to the public and to the world, not because I was talented or even beautiful, but because I had never belonged to anything or anyone else.” – Marilyn Monroe
66. “One of the best things that ever happened to me is that I'm a woman. That is the way all females should feel.” – Marilyn Monroe
67. “For those who are poor in happiness, each time is a first time; happiness never becomes a habit.” – Marilyn Monroe
68. “I think that sexuality is only attractive when it's natural and spontaneous.” – Marilyn Monroe
69. “A friend tells you what you want to hear; a best friend tells you the truth.” – Marilyn Monroe
70. “Fame doesn't fulfill you. It warms you a bit, but that warmth is temporary.” – Marilyn Monroe
71. “We are all of us stars, and we deserve to twinkle.” – Marilyn Monroe
72. “Always, always, always believe in yourself. Because if you don’t, then who will, sweetie?” – Marilyn Monroe
73. “If you can make a woman laugh, you can make her do anything.” – Marilyn Monroe
74. “A smile is the best makeup a girl can wear.” – Marilyn Monroe
75. “I don't stop when I'm tired. I only stop when I'm done.” – Marilyn Monroe
76. “I've been on a calendar, but never on time.” – Marilyn Monroe
77. “Never regret anything because at one time it was exactly what you wanted.” – Marilyn Monroe
78. “I restore myself when I'm alone.” – Marilyn Monroe
79. “We are all stars but we must learn how to shine.” – Marilyn Monroe
80. “Dogs never bite me. Just humans.” – Marilyn Monroe
81. “I daydream chiefly about beauty. I dreamed of myself becoming so beautiful that people would turn to look at me when I passed.” – Marilyn Monroe
82. “What do I wear in bed? Why, Chanel No. 5, of course.” – Marilyn Monroe
83. “Happiness is the most important thing in the world, without it, you live a life of depression.” – Marilyn Monroe
84. “The happiest time of my life is now.” – Marilyn Monroe
Share these Marilyn Monroe Famous Lines and Phrases with your friends, family, and loved ones to inspire them as well.