Twice nominated for an Academy Award, actress and singer Ann-Margret came to fame in such musical hits as “Bye Bye Birdie” and “Viva Las Vegas,” before turning in acclaimed dramatic performances in such films as “The Cincinnati Kid” and “Carnal Knowledge.”
Ann-Margret
Born in Sweden in 1941, Ann-Margret Olsson and her family moved after World War II to the United States, where she pursued dance lessons. Her first big break came in 1960, when comedian George Burns hired her for his Las Vegas act.
Ann-Margret
A 1960 portrait of Ann-Margret.
Even at that young age, she knew show biz was a rough game. So, to shield her family from unwanted publicity, she dropped her last name (Olsson) and performed as just Ann-Margret. “I really wanted to protect them from any bad news about me, anything bad that was said,” she told “CBS Sunday Morning.” “And I think I did, for a lot of it. I think so. Maybe not. But I tried.”
Recordings
She released her first album in 1961, titled, “And Here She Is … Ann-Margret.” Her single, “I Just Don’t Understand,” reached #17 on the Billboard chart, and scored her a Grammy Award nomination for best new artist. She would release more than a dozen albums over the course of her career, in addition to soundtracks of her films.
“The Ed Sullivan Show”
Actress Ann-Margret and TV personality Ed Sullivan are pictured during an appearance on the television variety program, “The Ed Sullivan Show,” April 1, 1962 in New York City.
“Bye Bye Birdie”
Ann-Margret became a box office star in the 1963 film of the Broadway musical, “Bye Bye Birdie.” Here she dances with Bobby Rydell.
“The Flintstones”
In 1963 Ann-Margret provided the voice for the character “Ann-Margrock,” a swingin’ Stone Age singer, in the animated series “The Flintstones.”
“Viva Las Vegas”
At age 23 Ann-Margret starred opposite Elvis Presley in “Viva Las Vegas.”
“Viva Las Vegas”
Ann-Margret and Elvis Presley made sparks offscreen, but she was private about their relationship in a 2022 interview with “Sunday Morning” correspondent Tracy Smith.
“Oh, my gosh,” she said. “I don’t wanna get into that, ’cause that’s so personal. … That was between him and me.”
“Once a Thief”
Alain Delon and Ann-Margret in a scene from the movie “Once a Thief” (1965).
“The Cincinnati Kid”
Ann-Margret and Steve McQueen in “The Cincinnati Kid” (1965).
“Stagecoach”
A publicity photo of Ann-Margret for the western “Stagecoach” (1966).
Ann-Margret and Roger Smith
Ann-Margret holds a piece of wedding cake as she stands beside actor Roger Smith (star of TV’s “77 Sunset Strip”) after their marriage on May 8, 1967 It was her first marriage, his second. They would be married for 50 years, until his death in 2017.
USO Tour
Ann-Margret joined multiple USO tours, in Europe and then, during the Vietnam War, in Southeast Asia. She performed with Johnny Rivers, Mickey Jones and Chuck Day, and then as part of Bob Hope’s Christmas Show. Pictured: Ann-Margret performs for 20,000 GIs at Long Binh, South Vietnam on December 23, 1968.
Tracy Smith asked, “What was it like going to Vietnam and performing for the troops?”
“Ooooohhhh!” Ann-Margret replied. “Boy, you talk about my heart pumping. Woo! Ow!”
“C.C. and Company”
Ann-Margret and Joe Namath on the set of the biker drama “C.C. and Company” (1970).
“Carnal Knowledge”
Tired of being typecast as a singing sex kitten, and wanting to prove she could hold her own in a dramatic role, she got her chance in 1971, when director Mike Nichols cast her as Jack Nicholson’s tragic lover in “Carnal Knowledge.” The performance earned her an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress.
But it was a performance her own father never saw: “He knew what it was about. And he didn’t wanna see it, because of obvious things. And I understood.”
Portrait
A portrait of Swedish actress Ann-Margret taken on the set of “Carnal Knowledge.”
Ann-Margaret
Ann-Margret performs on stage in Las Vegas, September 30, 1971.
Ann-Margret
A March 1972 portrait of actress and singer Ann-Margret.
“The Train Robbers”
Ann-Margret appearing in the western “The Train Robbers” (1973).
Grammy Awards Party
Ann-Margret attends the 17th Annual Grammy Awards Party March 1, 1975.
“Tommy”
Ann-Margret earned her second Oscar nomination, this time for Best Actress, for her performance as the mother of Roger Daltrey, the “deaf, dumb and blind” pinball wizard in Ken Russell’s film of The Who’s rock opera “Tommy” (1975). Oliver Reed costarred.
“Joseph Andrews”
Peter Firth’s hair is played with by Ann-Margret (as Lady Booby) in the bawdy period comedy “Joseph Andrews” (1977).
Ann-Margret
A June 1979 portrait of actress and singer Ann-Margret.
“Who Will Love My Children?”
Ann-Margret received her first of six Emmy nominations for her performance as a mother with terminal cancer who seeks homes for her children, in the 1983 TV movie “Who Will Love My Children?”
“A Streetcar Named Desire”
Ann-Margret received an Emmy nomination for her performance as Blanche DuBois, opposite Treat Williams’ Stanley Kowalski, in the 1984 TV production of Tennessee Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire.”
“Twice in a Lifetime”
Ann Margret is the other woman who becomes involved with a married Gene Hackman in the film “Twice in a Lifetime” (1985).
“Grumpy Old Men”
Ann-Margret and Jack Lemmon play chess in a scene from “Grumpy Old Men” (1993).
Emmy Awards
Ann-Margret poses with her Emmy Award for outstanding guest actress in a drama series, for her performance in “Law & Order: SVU,” at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, August 21, 2010 in Los Angeles.
The Wounded Warrior Project
A motorcycle buff, Ann-Margret poses at “Ann-Margret Honors The Wounded Warrior Project,” September 18, 2014 in New York City.
TCM Classic Film Festival
Actress Ann-Margret speaks onstage before a screening of “The Cincinnati Kid” during the 2015 TCM Classic Film Festival, March 27, 2015 in Los Angeles.
