Ann-Margret, an actress, singer, and dancer, has been stealing hearts on stage and in films since the 1960s. Her most well-known roles include “Bye Bye Birdie,” “Viva Las Vegas,” “The Cincinnati Kid,” “Carnal Knowledge,” and “The Train Robbers,” among others.

Ann-Margret has won five Golden Globes and has been nominated for two Academy Awards, two Grammys, and six Emmys. She won the Emmy for Best Guest Appearance in “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit” at the 2010 Primetime Emmy Awards.

Ann-Margret was born on April 28, 1941, in Stockholm, Sweden. Her family immigrated to the United States in 1941, settling in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. Ann-Margret became a naturalized US citizen in 1949. Later, the actress attended New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, where she was active in theater. Ann-Margret enrolled at Northwestern University in 1959 but did not complete her studies.

Ann-Margret began her entertainment career in 1961, but the film “Bye Bye Birdie” catapulted her to stardom in 1963. Then, in 1964, she co-starred in “Viva Las Vegas” with Elvis, and they had a brief romance before becoming lifelong friends.

Ann-Margret met her future husband, Roger Smith while working on the film “Once a Thief” in 1965. Roger Smith is best known for his role in the television series “77 Sunset Strip.” They started dating and married in 1967. Ann-Margret adopted Smith’s three children, Tracy, Jordan, and Dallas. Smith died in 2017, but Ann-Margret is still a wonderful stepmother and grandmother. Continue reading to find out what Ann-Margret is up to now that she is in her 80s.

Before entering the industry, Ann-Margret had been pursuing her dreams since she was a child. In an interview with the 700 Club, the star revealed:

“I’ve loved making people smile, think, feel good, or feel some kind of emotion since I was four years old.”

Growing up, she told the New York Times, she always tried to be a good girl.

“I used to try to be the perfect little girl. I always tried to have perfect manners. I never wanted to offend my parents. But you’re putting yourself in danger,” she admitted.

After starring in her high school theater before beginning her career with “Bye Bye Birdie,” the star knew she had a gift that she wanted to share with the world.

Following her box office success with “Bye Bye Birdie,” she moved on to “Viva Las Vegas,” where she was joined by another icon she referred to as “E.P.” Ann-Margret opened up about their first meeting in a sitdown interview with CBS Sunday Morning.

“It was a little awkward,” she admitted. “‘Hello,’ but it was fantastic,” she added.

Ann-Margret fell from a scaffold while performing on stage in Lake Tahoe in 1972. Her face was severely damaged in the accident, and she required surgery. Throughout that time, the actress received numerous letters from fans wishing her well. “I was scared when I performed in front of an audience when I first started,” she told Roger Ebert in 1983.

I’d peer over their shoulders. There is now a more personal connection. Some of the people who wrote those letters, I believe, are in every audience. The accident taught me a valuable lesson, and I’m much more at ease on stage now.”

Ann-Margret was preparing to tour her Las Vegas show when she spoke with Ebert. Onstage performance truly fulfills the performer, and she relishes every minute. “All things considered, going through this tour may seem insane, but we both love it. I enjoy being onstage. It’s an electric feeling for me. It’s been that way since I was four years old. I’m like a racehorse at the starting gate before the curtain goes up. I can hardly wait. On the other hand, Roger had no desire to be a performer.

“He did it, but he was relieved to be done with it. It worked for him. “It isn’t for me,” Ann-Margret clarified.

Ann-scheduled Margret’s while filming “A Streetcar Named Desire” was hectic, despite her love of performing. She revealed:

“I worked until five o’clock this morning filming ‘Streetcar.'” It’s the best role I’ve ever had, and it’s draining me completely. I’m an emotional actress, not a technical one, and if Blanche Dubois feels something, so do I… I’m keeping myself quite busy. But one thing I’ve learned is that your experiences, both good and bad, make you stronger.”

She went on to talk about her husband’s illness and her crazy and hectic tour schedule. Ann-Margret stated,

“That, and other things. Going through this tour may seem insane in retrospect, but we both enjoy it. I enjoy being onstage. It’s an electric feeling for me. It’s been that way since I was four years old. I’m like a racehorse at the starting gate before the curtain goes up. I can hardly wait. On the other hand, Roger had no desire to be a performer. He did it but was relieved to be done with it.”

She continued, saying:

“It worked for him. It isn’t for me. In our family, one is sufficient. Roger works as a producer. He enjoys engineering and coordinating things so everything happens at the right time and in the right order. We form our little nucleus, Roger and me and our choreographer, and we’re overjoyed because we truly believe in putting on a show.”

The actress had to deal with a once-in-a-lifetime career and husband, and she also battled personal demons. She admitted to the 700 Club that she had alcohol issues as well.

“I handled it. You never really get over it. But I handled it,” she explained. “You always have to be aware of it,” she continued. But I’ve been without it for the past 32 years. I’ve had this feeling my entire life, deep, deep, deep inside me… my faith and feelings.”

Ann-Margret has always been open about how her faith has helped her get through some of her most difficult times. She said she would step outside when she was going through tough times in the past.

“I mean, you walk outside and see flowers. You notice the trees. You see all of your loved ones… “And then you think about Who made it all,” the star explained.

The icon also revealed that her love for her family is the reason she has worked so hard her entire life.

“Family and friends. That’s exactly what it is. “That’s what it’s all about,” she stated confidently.

The star’s lengthy career has not gone unnoticed. Throughout her career, the lady has received several nominations and awards.

The star has had a long-lasting impact because of her successful work projects and her generous heart. Ann-Margret traveled to South East Asia multiple times during the Vietnam War to performing for American troops on land and sea.

“I was there in 1966 and 1968, and oh boy, you talk about heart bumping!” the star remembered. Her love and impact on the world stretch far and wide. People love her so much because of her relationship with her husband, Smith. Speaking with the New York Times, she said she knew almost right away she would go on to marry Smith.

“The man I married is the man I knew I was going to marry on the third date,” she said. Ann-Margret also told People in 2017, “I knew he would protect me. I knew that I could depend on him. I sensed it completely,” she said. In May of 1967, she and Smith finally tied the knot.

“This is not how I envisioned my wedding,” she admitted. “I think everyone thought I was pregnant because I was crying through the whole thing. But we did it!”

The couple’s marriage was not easy or simple. The couple was tested between her near-death fall and his diagnosis of myasthenia gravis, a nerve-and-muscle disorder. However, the award-winning star said their marriage was more than worth it even through all of that.

“It’s very simple, actually,” she said. “We both want it to work.” She and Smith didn’t have children, but she was a stepmother to his three children from his marriage to Victoria Shaw.

“I met them when they were 3, 6, and 7,” she told Closer Weekly. She sounded like a proud stepmom when she said, “Two of them are doctors.”

Ann-Margret turned 81 in April 2022, and she is still keeping busy. However, now that her husband has passed away, the star spends her free time with his children and grandchildren. “Her stepdaughter Tracey and stepsons Jordan and Dallas adore her,” an insider told Closer Weekly. “She is a doting grandmother to all their kids. She sees them, speaks to them, and Zooms with them frequently.”

Losing Smith in 2017 was devastating for Ann-Margret, especially because, as her manager, she and Smith spent all of their time together. “They couldn’t stand to be apart from each other, being on film sets on opposite ends of the country,” a friend of the couple said. “Roger stepping in as her manager was a way for them always to be together.”

After spending 50 years married to Ann-Margret, Smith passed away from complications due to myasthenia gravis. However, Ann-Margret has not given up on enjoying life and holds on to her husband’s memory. “She lets herself be sad but also cherishes the years they had together,” the insider added. “She believes he is still watching out for her.”

Ann-Margret is still working in Hollywood and has no interest in slowing down. She has consistently worked in television throughout the majority of the early 2000s. She starred in the 2021 film “Queen Bees” in a star-studded cast that included James Caan, Ellen Burstyn, and Christopher Lloyd. “You’re not dead when you reach a certain age,” she said. “You must keep living and not sit at home and watch TV alone. You have to participate.”

The legendary performer explained, “I always think that age is a natural progression, and I’m ready for it. Whatever! I’m going to be the best 85-year-old I can be.”

The star actress also makes time for activities she loves, like riding her purple Harley motorcycle.

“You know, being outside with the wind and rain, whatever out there. It’s just exciting,” she said. Not only is she making time for herself, but she has also found love again. The woman who was married for nearly 50 years opened up to CBS and shared how her perspective on love is different than it was before.

“It’s a nice feeling. He’s not a stranger, you know?” she said. Between riding her motorcycle for fun, seeing her new boyfriend, and being famous, Ann-Margret is still very busy.

“My whole life. How can this happen?” she said as she reminisced on her life and career full of success and fame. “I’m so thankful for everything,” the living legend added.

“I’m very thankful that I have another day, yep,” Ann-Margret ended her interview.

In May of 2022, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, awarded Ann-Margret an Honorary Doctoral Degree in Humane Letters.

Throughout her career, she has acted in more than 50 feature films and has acted in over 18 television shows. The living legend still lives in her Los Angeles home that she and her late husband Smith bought together in 1968. These days the star looks forwards to her walking group.

She told Fox News in February of 2022 that having this group gives her something to keep her active and look forward to.

“On Monday, there might be three of us,” Ann-Margret explained. “Another day, there might be 15. We go to a different place every weekend to walk. I’m excited to go,” she said.

Can you believe that Ann-Margret is still working after all these years in Hollywood? She is a living icon! If you love this legend, be sure to pass this on to other huge fans of hers!

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