Ann-Margret, highly acclaimed actress and musician, can be described as an all-around entertainer and a true Hollywood icon. During her five-year career in showbiz, the multi-talented star has garnered numerous accolades, the most notable of which are 5 Golden Globe Awards as well as nominations for 2 Academy Awards, 2 Grammy Awards, 1 SAG Awards and 6 Emmy Awards.
In addition to her screen and stage exploits, Ann-Margret also made headlines due to her romantic involvement with late music icon Elvis Presley; the “king of rock and roll”. The two were co-stars in the 1964 musical Viva Las Vegas and thanks to her incredible musical talents, Ann-Margret was widely considered the Elvis Presley wife. Let’s take a closer look at Ann-Margret’s private life, her relationship with Elvis Presley, her family life and everything there is to know about the iconic Hollywood star.
Who is Ann-Margret?
Ann-Margret Olsson was born on April 28, 1941, in Valsjöbyn, Jämtland County, Sweden, when Ann-Margret Olsson was born. His parents were Anna Regina ( née Aronsson) and Carl Gustav Olsson. His father immigrated to the United States in 1942 as a staff member of the Johnson Electrical Company. She eventually moved to the United States with her mother in November 1946, and the family settled in Wilmette, Illinois. She became a naturalized American citizen in 1949.
Ann-Margret was first enrolled in dance lessons at the Marjorie Young School of Dance. She received her high school education at New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, and performed in several talent shows during her teenage years. She enrolled in college in 1959 at Northwestern University, but she did not complete her studies. Ann-Margret began her singing career in several cities in the United States as a member of a group called “Suttletones”. She landed a recording contract with RCA Victor in 1961. Her musical career was quite successful under RCA Victor, when she performed at the 34th Academy Awards and also earned a Billboard Top 40 hit.”
Just like her music career, Ann-Margret’s acting career also kicked off in 1961 when she signed a seven-year contract with 20th Century Fox. She made her big-screen debut in the comedy film Pocket of Miracles (1961) for which she won the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year. Starring in the musical Goodbye Bird (1963) earned Ann-Margret a second Golden Globe nomination and, more importantly, propelled her to Hollywood stardom. The talented actress appeared alongside Elvis Presley in the musical Viva Las Vegas (1964) and her acting career continued its steady progression through the 1960s.
Ann-Margret staged performances in the late 1960s, when her acting career had a brief lull. The talented actress returned to filmmaking with a bang in the early ’70s. In 1971, she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Carnal Knowledge (1971). She won a Golden Globe Award and a second Best Actress Oscar nomination for her lead role in the British musical drama. Tommy (1975). Ann Margret’s career continued its steady progression in the 1980s, winning 2 Golden Globe Awards for her roles in Who’s Gonna Love My Children? (1983) and A Streetcar Named Desire(1984).
Over the years, Ann-Margret has distinguished herself for effectively maintaining her music career alongside her acting career. She earned her first Grammy nomination for Best New Artist in 1961 and received her second Grammy nomination in 2001 for her gospel album God Is Love: The Gospel Sessions.
How was Ann Margret’s affair with Elvis Presley?
During her long career in showbiz, Ann-Margret has had very few relationships, at least by Hollywood standards. Most notable among his romantic engagements was with late music icon Elvis Presley. The two met after starring opposite each other in the 1964 musical film Viva Las Vegas. The on-screen chemistry in the film blossomed into an on-and-off year-long relationship and a lifelong friendship of trust and respect.
Being at the peak of their respective careers in Ann-Margret and Elvis Presley were a picture-perfect Hollywood couple at the time, but they couldn’t make it all the way down the aisle. According to inside sources, Presley believed in the traditional role of housewives and it seemed impossible to “transform” Ann-Margret, a career woman, into his “ideal woman”.
A few years after their split, the two spouses married their future husbands, Ann-Margret to Roger Smith and Elvis Presley to Priscilla Presley. As Margret’s 1994 memoir Ann-Margret: My Story reveals , Elvis Presley continued to profess his love for her until his tragic death in 1977.
husband and children
Ann-Margret had a 5-decade-long marital union with Hollywood actor, producer, and screenwriter Roger Smith. The couple married on May 8, 1967, and afterwards Smith became their manager. Ann-Margret had no children with her husband Smith; however, she is the mother-in-law of her 3 children from a previous union; a daughter named Tracey and sons Jordan and Dallas. A prime example of longevity, their marriage lasted 50 years and ended in June 2017, when Smith passed away.