Ann-Margret, 84, remains a potent emblem of Hollywood’s golden era, with a six-decade career that has encompassed musical hits, dramatic turns and a shelf full of awards considerations. The Swedish-American actress, dancer and singer is best remembered for performances that defined the 1960s and 1970s and for a public romance with Elvis Presley during the Viva Las Vegas era. She also counted Elizabeth Taylor among her acquaintances and, later, worked with Angelina Jolie in Jolie’s screen debut. A recent appearance at a Cinecon Classic Film Festival in Beverly Hills drew renewed attention to her enduring presence.
She shot to stardom with Pocketful of Miracles (1961) and State Fair (1962), then became a Hollywood icon in Bye Bye Birdie (1963) and Viva Las Vegas (1964), the latter pairing with Elvis Presley, whom she dated. She continued with The Cincinnati Kid (1965) and later achieved an Academy Award nomination for Carnal Knowledge (1971). She also appeared as the mother of Angelina Jolie's character in Jolie's screen debut Lookin' to Get Out (1982).
Her long list of screen credits continued through the 1970s and 1980s, including The Train Robbers (1973) and Tommy (1975). In 1978 she starred in Magic and in 1980 appeared in Middle Age Crazy. The 1980s and 1990s saw a mix of film and television work, including 52 Pick-Up (1986), Newsies (1992), Grumpy Old Men (1993) and Grumpier Old Men (1995), and later Any Given Sunday (1999). She also appeared in Taxi (2004) and The Break-Up (2006) with Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn, followed by The Santa Clause 3 (2006) and Old Dogs (2009).
On music, Ann-Margret began working with RCA Victor in 1961 and released songs that became radio staples, including I Just Don’t Understand, which reached the Billboard Top 40 in August 1961. Her only charting album, Beauty and the Beard, arrived in 1964. In April 2023 she released Born to Be Wild, her first rock album, signaling a late-life creative turn.
Her origins in dance date to the Marjorie Young School of Dance, and as a teenager she performed with a Las Vegas group known as the Suttletones. George Burns helped her early career by featuring her in his show, and she carried that momentum into a seven-year contract with 20th Century Fox after a screen test in 1961. Her career also includes starring opposite Steve McQueen in The Cincinnati Kid, and later high-profile roles in The Break-Up and in television and streaming projects such as Ray Donovan and The Kominsky Method. She was wed to Roger Smith for 50 years, from 1967 until his death in 2017.