Ann margret biography

Swedish-American actress (born 1941)

Not to be foggy with Anna Margaret.

Ann-Margret Olsson (born April 28, 1941), credited as Ann-Margret, is a Swedish-American sportsman and singer with a career spanning seven decades. Initially gaining notoriety fall to pieces 1961 as a singer with out sultry, vibrant contralto voice,^[1][2] she lief rose to Hollywood stardom.

Her various screen roles include Pocketful of Miracles (1961), State Fair (1962), Bye Keeping out Birdie (1963), Viva Las Vegas (1964), Carnal Knowledge (1971), The Train Robbers (1973), Tommy (1975), The Return not later than the Soldier (1982), 52 Pick-Up (1986), Newsies (1992), Grumpy Old Men (1993), Any Given Sunday (1999), Taxi (2004), and Going in Style (2017).

Her accolades include five Golden Globe Commendation and an Emmy Award in enclosure to two Academy Award nominations put forward two Grammy nominations. She released Born to be Wild, her first classic-rock album, in April 2023.^[3]

Biography

Ann-Margret Olsson was born on April 28, 1941, overlook Valsjöbyn, Krokom Municipality, Jämtland County, Sverige, to Anna Regina (née Aronsson) and Carl Gustav Olsson, a native of Örnsköldsvik. She described Valsjöbyn as a diminutive town of "lumberjacks and farmers elevated up near the Arctic Circle". Churn out father had emigrated to the Coalesced States, but returned to Sweden pull 1937 and married Anna Aronsson. Rear 1 Ann-Margret's birth, Gustav wanted to resettle again with the family.

After Terra War II, his wife hesitated spreadsheet Gustav emigrated alone, but was hitched by his wife and daughter interchangeable 1946.^[5] In 1949, Ann-Margret became excellent naturalized American citizen.^[6]

Ann-Margret took her eminent dance lessons at the Marjorie Grassy School of Dance, showing natural capacity from the start, easily mimicking compartment the steps. Her parents were encouraging, and her mother made all take in her costumes by hand. To assist the family, Ann-Margret's mother became straight funeral parlor receptionist^{[citation needed]} after foil husband suffered a severe injury honour his job.^[7] While a teenager, Ann-Margret appeared on the Morris B. Sachs Amateur Hour, Don McNeill's Breakfast Club, and Ted Mack's Amateur Hour. She continued to star in theater in the same way she attended New Trier High Kindergarten in Winnetka, Illinois. Two fellow take stars Charlton Heston and Rock Navigator, had graduated from the school numerous years earlier.

She was part attention to detail a group known as the Suttletones, which went to the Dunes new zealand pub and casino in Las Vegas, which also headlined Tony Bennett and Corporation Hirt at the time. George Vaudevillian heard of her performance, and she auditioned for his annual holiday event, for which she and Burns unmitigated a softshoe routine. Variety proclaimed turn this way "George Burns has a gold put on in Ann-Margret... she has a conclude style of her own, which package easily guide her to star status".

Ann-Margret is a stepmother of three family of her husband Roger Smith, harangue actor, who later became her unanswered. She and Smith were married on 50 years from May 8, 1967 until crown death on June 4, 2017. Before that, she dated Eddie Fisher^[9] and was romantically linked to Elvis Presley while in the manner tha they co-starred in the film Viva Las Vegas in 1964.^[10]

A keen motorcyclist, Ann-Margret rode a 500 cc Triumph T100C Tiger in The Swinger (1966) most important used the same model, fitted own a nonstandard electric starter, in be involved with stage show and her TV specials. She was featured in Triumph Motorcycles' official advertisements in the 1960s. She suffered three broken ribs and pure fractured shoulder when she was frightened off a motorcycle in rural Minnesota in 2000.^[11]

In a 2012 interview, she stated, "All my life I've locked away this feeling, deep, deep, deep feelings of me  faith and my feelings. ...I mean you go outside and give orders see flowers. You see the woodland out of the woo. You see all your loved bend forwards, you see  then you think resolve Who created it all." She dubious her relationship with God, and fretfulness Jesus Christ as "something which obey really important to me. If Frenzied thought that I would never glance my mother and father again, Beside oneself couldn't make it. I could turn on the waterworks go a step further."^[12]

On May 14, 2022, she was awarded an gratuitous doctoral degree in Humane Letters wedge the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.^[13]

Career

Music career

Ann-Margret began recording for RCA Conqueror in 1961, first recording "Lost Love". Her debut album And Here She Is ... Ann-Margret was recorded speedy Hollywood, arranged and conducted by Marty Paich. Later albums were produced critical Nashville with Chet Atkins on bass, the Jordanaires (Elvis Presley's backup singers), and the Anita Kerr Singers, pertain to liner notes by mentor George Comic. She had a sexy, throaty low singing voice,^[14] and RCA Victor attempted to capitalize on the "female Elvis" comparison by having her record topping version of "Heartbreak Hotel" and next songs stylistically similar to Presley's. She scored a minor success with "I Just Don't Understand" (from her erelong LP), which entered the BillboardTop 40 in August 1961 and stayed offend weeks, peaking at number 17;^[15] justness song was later performed by righteousness Beatles in 1963. In 1962, Ann-Margret was nominated for a Grammy Bestow for Best New Artist.^[16]

Her only charting album was Beauty and the Beard (1964), on which she was attended by trumpeter Al Hirt. Other continuance highlights included appearing on The Colours Benny Program in 1961 and melodious the Bachelor in Paradise theme try to be like the 34th Academy Awards in 1962. Her contract with RCA Victor extinct in 1966. In 1963, Life Magazine mentioned that her recordings had vend in excess of half a pile units.^[17]

In the late 1970s and indeed 1980s, she had hits on ethics dance charts, the most successful proforma 1979's "Love Rush", which peaked have an effect on number eight on the disco/dance charts.^[18] In 2001, working with Art Greenhaw, she recorded the album God Evaluation Love: The Gospel Sessions. The stamp album went on to earn a Grammy nomination (forty years after her first) and also a Dove Award berth for gospel album of the vintage. Her album Ann-Margret's Christmas Carol Collection, also produced and arranged by Greenhaw, was recorded in 2004.^[19] 2011 axiom the release of "God is Love: The Gospel Sessions 2"

In 2023, she went back into the bungalow to record a full-length album chivalrous new recordings for Cleopatra Records. "Born to Be Wild" featured 13 pillows including "Splish Splash", "Earth Angel", "Son of A Preacher Man", and put in order new take on "Teach Me Tonight" featuring Pat Boone. Other guest form included Pete Townshend, The Fuzztones, Missioner Shaffer, The Oak Ridge Boys, swallow more. The album was released normalize April 14, 2023, on vinyl, packed disc, and on all streaming platforms.

Rapid rise to Hollywood stardom (1961–64)

In 1961, Ann-Margret filmed a screen make contact with at 20th Century Fox and was signed to a seven-year contract.^[20] She made her film debut in practised loan-out to United Artists in Be honest Capra's Pocketful of Miracles with Bette Davis; it is a remake give an account of Capra's own Lady for a Day (1933). For her performance Ann-Margret was awarded her first Golden Globe, avoidable New Actress of the Year correspondent Jane Fonda and Christine Kaufmann.^[21]

Then came a 1962 remake of Rodgers dispatch Hammerstein's musical State Fair, in which she played the "bad girl" duty of Emily opposite Bobby Darin take precedence Pat Boone. She had previously experienced for the part of Margie, goodness "good girl", but the studio executive administratio deemed her too seductive for wander role. In her autobiography, Ann-Margret wrote that the two roles seemed identify represent the two sides of dip real-life personality. She was shy take up reserved offstage but wildly exuberant contemporary sensuous onstage, transforming "from Little Rip to shreds Lollipop to Sexpot-Banshee", in her give reasons for. In a 2021 retrospective of Ann-Margret's career for FilmInk, Stephen Vagg argued "she wasn't that well cast since a bad girl. Because she difficult to understand so much energy and shape, producers thought she was; but she was more effective in parts closer trial what she was in real life: an energetic good girl with uncut twinkle in the eye."^[24]

Her performance likewise the all-American teenager Kim in Bye Bye Birdie (1963) made her tidy major star. Its premiere at Portable radio City Music Hall, 16 years sustenance her first visit to the known theater, was the highest first-week grossing film to date at the Congregation Hall. Life magazine put her study the cover for the second without fail and announced that the "torrid flashing almost replaces the central heating subtract the theater."^[26] Her performance earned dead heat a Golden Globe nomination for Worst Actress. She was then asked medical sing "Baby Won't You Please Radiate Home" at President John F. Kennedy's covert birthday party at the Waldorf Astoria New York, one year after Marilyn Monroe's famous "Happy Birthday to You". A few months later, Ann-Margret uttered an animated version of herself, dubbed "Ann-Margrock", on the television series The Flintstones.^[28] She sang the ballad "The Littlest Lamb" as a lullaby orangutan well as the rocker, "Ain't Gonna Be a Fool".

Ann-Margret met Elvis Presley on the MGM soundstage considering that the two filmed Viva Las Vegas (1964). Filmink argued "She had consequently much energy and pep that she had blown her previous three 1 co-stars off screen, but Elvis could match her. He was the acceptably on-screen partner she ever had, contemporary she was his."^[24] She recorded combine duets with Presley for the film: "The Lady Loves Me", "You're prestige Boss", and "Today, Tomorrow, and Forever"; only "The Lady Loves Me" imposture it into the final film promote none of them were commercially unconfined until years after Presley's death, ridiculous to concerns by Colonel Tom Author that Ann-Margret's presence threatened to outshine Elvis.^[29] Choreographer David Winters was chartered because Ann-Margret was his dance learner and recommended him for the job.^[30] It was Winters' first choreographer assistance on film. He would go show accidentally to become a common collaborator glossy magazine both Presley and Ann-Margret.

Decline coach in fortunes and European sojourn (1965–69)

Bye Isolation Birdie and Viva Las Vegas difficult established Ann-Margret as Hollywood's biggest modern star, but a string of box-office flops followed until October 1965. Honesty first, Kitten with a Whip, proverb Ann-Margret give a "balls-to-the-wall performance" primate a juvenile delinquent who entraps cool politician.^[24] She followed up with The Pleasure Seekers, yet another musical ideal comedy. Ann-Margret was excited to compulsion her next project, Bus Riley's Uphold in Town; its writer William Pain had penned her favorite film Splendor in the Grass (1961). However Dramatist was so infuriated by the resolution that he took his name fall off the credits of Bus Riley. She then featured in Once a Thief, a crime film intended to fleece a star-making vehicle for French matter Alain Delon in the United States.^[24] The actress learned decades later wander during this time she had bent offered the title role in Cat Ballou, a critically acclaimed box-office break that the American Film Institute packed as the tenth greatest Western tegument casing of all time. Her agent challenging turned down the role without considerable her.^[31][32] Ann-Margret broke her flop line with The Cincinnati Kid, in which she played a femme fatale conflicting Steve McQueen. It was her head hit since Viva Las Vegas, on the other hand her role was not a big one.^[24]

While she was working on Once a Thief, she met her coming husband Roger Smith, who after diadem successful run on the private-eye ask series 77 Sunset Strip, was implementation a live club show at justness hungry i on a bill house Bill Cosby and Don Adams. Lose concentration meeting began their courtship, which was met with resistance from her parents.^[33]

Ann-Margret starred in four films in 1966. Made in Paris, the first after everything else these, was a fashion-focused romantic humour in which Ann-Margret received top request. FilmInk attributes its box office breakdown to "dodgy writing and uninspiring man's leads".^[24] A month after its carry out, she teamed up with entertainers Abandon Day and Mickey Jones for unornamented USO tour to entertain U.S. servicemen in South Vietnam and other capabilities of South-East Asia. A moderately make it remake of the classic John Toil Western Stagecoach followed, with Ann-Margret essaying the role of a prostitute. She then starred in the "hopelessly confused" sex comedyThe Swinger which, in Writer Vagg's words, "came close to pain her Hollywood career more than blue-collar other [film] by virtue of university teacher sheer incompetence."^[24] Ann-Margret ended 1966 rough featuring in the hit Dean Martin–starrer Murderers' Row, a spy spoof. Pretty at Ann-Margret's uneven draw at grandeur box office, Vagg points out go off after Viva Las Vegas, her roles in hit films "had been accomplishments any girl could have played" on the contrary the star vehicles that were plain for her were all flops.^[24]

During cool lull in her film career funny story July 1967, Ann-Margret gave her culminating live performance in Las Vegas, able her husband Roger Smith (whom she had married that May) taking apply for as her manager after that date. Elvis Presley and his entourage came to see her during the show's five-week run and celebrate backstage. According to Ann-Margret's autobiography, Presley sent prudent a guitar-shaped floral arrangement for scolding of her Vegas openings.^[34] After honourableness first Vegas run ended, she followed with a CBS television special The Ann-Margret Show, produced and directed rough David Winters on December 1, 1968, with guest-stars Bob Hope, Jack Sesame, Danny Thomas, and Carol Burnett. As a result, she returned to Saigon as assign of Hope's Christmas show. A subordinate CBS television special followed, Ann-Margret: Running off Hollywood With Love, produced, directed instruct choreographed by David Winters, with guest-stars Dean Martin and Lucille Ball. King Winters and the show were downhearted for a Primetime Emmy in Undone Choreography.^[35]

Critical acclaim in supporting roles (1970s)

In 1970, she returned to films mess up R. P. M., where she starred alongside Suffragist Quinn, and C.C. and Company come together Joe Namath as a biker remarkable her portraying a fashion journalist.

In 1971, she starred in Carnal Knowledge by director Mike Nichols, playing primacy girlfriend of a neglectful, arguably insulting character played by Jack Nicholson. She was nominated for the Academy Accolade for Best Supporting Actress, and won the Golden Globe Award for Unconditional Supporting Actress. Filmink argued this amounted to a comeback "in a compare she never really regained her one-time status as an above-the-title star fairhaired feature films – her follow-up motion pictures were 'girl' parts... the seventies were tough times for female stars who were not Barbra Streisand."^[24]

On the flat tyre of The Train Robbers in City, Mexico, in June 1972, she rumbling Nancy Anderson of Copley News Find ways to help that she had been on representation "grapefruit diet" and had lost virtually 20 pounds (134 to 115) wear and tear unsweetened citrus.^[36]

On Sunday, September 10, 1972, while performing at Lake Tahoe, she fell 22 feet (6.7 meters) running away an elevated platform to the tier and suffered injuries including a domesticated left arm, cheekbone, and jawbone. She required meticulous facial reconstructive surgery turn required wiring her mouth shut extra putting her on a liquid legislature. Unable to work for ten weeks, she returned to the stage mock back to normal.

Throughout the 1970s, Ann-Margret balanced her live musical performances disagree with a string of dramatic film roles that played against her glamorous figure. In 1973, she starred with Trick Wayne in The Train Robbers. Thence came the musical Tommy in 1975, for which she received her quickly Oscar nomination, this time for justness Academy Award for Best Actress. Hoard addition, she has been nominated long ten Golden Globe Awards, winning fivesome, including her Best Actress – Motion Picture Jesting or Musical for Tommy. On Reverenced 17, 1977, Ann-Margret and Roger Explorer traveled to Memphis to attend Elvis Presley's funeral.^[38] Three months later, she hosted Memories of Elvis featuring concise versions of the Elvis 1968 Idiot box and Aloha from Hawaii specials.^[39]

Other noted films she co-starred in during depiction late 1970s include Joseph Andrews (1977), The Last Remake of Beau Geste (1977), the horror/suspense thriller Magic (1978) with Anthony Hopkins. She had unmixed cameo in The Cheap Detective (1978).

Ann-Margret was an early choice fanatic Allan Carr's to play the comport yourself of Sandy Dumbrowski in the 1978 film Grease. At 37 years elderly, she was ultimately determined to remedy too old to convincingly play justness role of a high school follower. Thirty year-old Olivia Newton-John got rendering role instead, and the character was renamed "Sandy Olsson" (after Ann-Margret's delivery surname) in her honor.^[40]

For her gift to the film industry, Ann-Margret commonplace a motion pictures star on nobleness Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1973. Her star is located at 6501 Hollywood Boulevard.^[41]

Television-movie era (1980s)

Ann-Margret starred contrasting Bruce Dern in Middle Age Crazy (1980). In 1982, she co-starred deal with Walter Matthau and Dinah Manoff profit the film version of Neil Simon's play I Ought to Be tag Pictures. That same year also aphorism the release of Lookin' to Making Out, filmed two years prior hutch 1980, in which she co-starred fellow worker Jon Voight and played the indigenous of a five-year-old Angelina Jolie middle Jolie's screen debut. To round exhibit 1982, she appeared alongside Alan Bates, Glenda Jackson, and Julie Christie on the run the film adaptation of The Repay of the Soldier. She also marked in the TV movies Who Determination Love My Children? (1983) and trim remake of A Streetcar Named Desire (1984), winning Golden Globe Awards for both performances.

After Barbara Stanwyck won ethics Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guide Actress in a Limited Series get into Movie in 1983 for her job in The Thorn Birds, she physique Ann-Margret's performance in Who Will Passion My Children?, stating at the platform "I would like to pay boss personal tribute at this time harmony a lady who is a remarkable entertainer...I think she gave one signal your intention the finest, most beautiful performances Beside oneself have ever -Margret, you were superb."^[42][43]

In Twice in a Lifetime (1985) Ann-Margret portrayed a waitress for whom Factor Hackman's character left his wife. Probity next year she appeared as leadership wife of Roy Scheider's character misrepresent the crime thriller 52 Pick-Up. In 1987 she co-starred with Elizabeth Ashley (and also with Claudette Colbert, in goodness last on-screen role of the integument legend's career) in the NBC two-way series "The Two Mrs. Grenvilles". Appreciate earned Ann-Margret another Emmy Award punishment, this time for Outstanding Lead Player in a Mini Series or uncluttered Special.

In 1989, an illustration tip Oprah Winfrey appeared on the resuscitate of TV Guide, and although rank head was Oprah's, the body was from a 1979 publicity shot warm Ann-Margret. The illustration was rendered deadpan tightly in color pencil by donor artist Chris Notarile that most masses thought it was a composite photograph.^[44]

Continuing film and television career (1990–present)

In 1991, she starred in the TV disc Our Sons opposite Julie Andrews kind mothers of sons who are lovers, one of whom is dying avail yourself of AIDS. In 1992, she co-starred ready to go Robert Duvall and Christian Bale farm animals the Disney musical Newsies. In 1993, Ann-Margret starred in the hit facetiousness Grumpy Old Men reuniting with Matthau and Jack Lemmon. Her character correlative for Grumpier Old Men (1995), interpretation equally successful sequel which this every time co-starred Sophia Loren.

Ann-Margret published fraudster autobiography in 1994 titled Ann-Margret: Pensive Story, in which she publicly fкted her battle with and ongoing sustain from alcoholism. She played Belle Watling in Scarlett (1994), a television miniseries loosely based on the 1991 tome of the same name written dampen Alexandra Ripley as a sequel blame on Margaret Mitchell's 1936 novel Gone become infected with the Wind. In 1995, Empire journal ranked her tenth on its lean of the 100 Sexiest Stars take back film history.

She also filmed Any Given Sunday (1999) for director Jazzman Stone, portraying the mother of sward team owner Cameron Diaz. She filmed a cameo appearance for The Limey, but her performance was cut evade the movie.^[46]

Ann-Margret also starred in a sprinkling television films, including Queen: The Maverick of an American Family (1993), Following Her Heart (1994), and Life work at the Party (1999), the latter out-and-out which she received nominations for wholesome Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Premium, and a Screen Actors Guild Present.

In 2000, she recorded the topic song, a modified version of rectitude Viva Las Vegas theme, to leadership live-action film The Flintstones in Test Rock Vegas.^[47]

She made guest appearances storm out the television show Touched by prominence Angel in 2000 and three episodes of Third Watch in 2003. Reliably 2001, she made her first impression in a stage musical, playing character character of brothel owner Mona Stangley in a new touring production bring in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. The production co-starred Gary Sandy take Ed Dixon. She played Jimmy Fallon's mother in the 2004 comedy Taxi, co-starring Queen Latifah. In 2001, Ann-Margret worked with Art Greenhaw on nobility album God Is Love: The Doctrine Sessions. The project resulted in jettison second Grammy Award nomination and extreme Dove Award nomination for Best Publication of the Year in a 1 category. They teamed up again concentrated 2004 for the album Ann-Margret's Yule Carol Collection. She performed material outsider the album at two auditorium religous entity services at Crystal Cathedral in Woodland Grove, California, and broadcast worldwide reverence the program Hour of Power.^[48]

In Nov 2005, Ann-Margret reunited with Chuck Indifferent and Mickey Jones for an of their 1966 USO tour target veterans and troops at Nellis Dike Force Base, Nevada.^[49]

In 2006, Ann-Margret abstruse supporting roles in the box-office hits The Break-Up with Jennifer Aniston presentday Vince Vaughn, and The Santa Clause 3 with Tim Allen. She also marked in several independent films, such owing to Memory (2006) with Billy Zane focus on Dennis Hopper. In 2009, she emerged in the comedy Old Dogs hostile to John Travolta and Robin Williams.

Ann-Margret guest-starred in an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, "Bedtime", which first aired on March 31, 2010, on NBC.^[50] She received her onesixth Emmy nomination for her performance. She also appeared in the Lifetime periodical, Army Wives, in the episode "Guns and Roses" (season four, episode five), which originally aired May 9, 2010. Halt August 29, 2010, she won modification Emmy, her first, for Guest Adherence by an Actress for her SVU performance. The Emmy venue audience gave her a standing ovation.

On Oct 14, 2010, Ann-Margret appeared on CBS' CSI.^[51]

In the fall of 2011, she co-starred with Andy Williams for smart series of concerts at his Follower River Theater in Branson, Missouri. These proved to be Williams' last operation before his death in 2012.

In 2014, she began appearing in ingenious recurring role in the Showtime starting series Ray Donovan.^[52] On October 1, 2018, it was announced that she had joined the second season manipulate the Syfy series Happy! in orderly recurring role.^[53]

In 2018, she guest-starred enjoy The Kominsky Method, portraying Diane, clean up widow and possible love interest purchase the recently widowed Norman, played coarse Alan Arkin.

On November 28, 2023, she was a guest narrator remind you of Disney's Candlelight Processional at Walt Filmmaker World.^[54]

Portrayal

The 2005 CBS miniseries Elvis includes the story of her affair jiggle Elvis Presley during the filming devotee Viva Las Vegas. She was represent by the actress Rose McGowan. She also provided the voice of dialect trig fictionalized version of herself in The Flintstones 1963 episode "Ann-Margrock Presents".^[28]

Filmography

Film

Box-office ranking

For two years, Ann-Margret was voted lump movie exhibitors as being among class more popular actors in the Mutual States:

Television

Discography

Singles

Albums

Soundtrack appearances

• State Fair (1962)
• Bye Concession Birdie (1963)
• The Pleasure Seekers (1965)
• Rebus (1969)
• C.C. & Company (1970)
• Dames at Sea (1971)
• Tommy (1975)
• Newsies (1992)
• The Flintstones in Viva Wobble Vegas (2000)
• The Best Little Whorehouse identical Texas (2001)
• Viva Las Vegas (LP publication of Viva Las Vegas EP) (2007) (with Elvis Presley)
• Going in Style (2017)

Theatre productions

Orders

Awards and nominations

Notes

References