Marilyn shows her mature talent as an actress in "Some Like it Hot," hangs out with the Rat Pack, sings "Happy Birthday" to JFK, and wins a triumphant victory over Twentieth Century Fox shortly before her untimely death.

Determined to become a serious actress, Marilyn departs from Twentieth Century Fox to launch her own production company. She creates a new identity in New York as Fox refuses to release her contract.

Marilyn's rise is nearly ruined when it's revealed she posed nude for a calendar. Her defiance about posing catapults her to stardom.

A young Norma Jeane, while showing talent and audacity, turns her back on her difficult childhood and puts herself on the radar in Hollywood as "Marilyn Monroe."