A much-needed breath of fresh air in the 1960s, Ann-Margret had unbrushed hair, raw energy, and unadulterated exhilaration.The 81-year-old Swedish-born actress just mesmerized everyone with her beauty, charisma, and dance skills.
Her relationship with Elvis Presley was widely publicized back then, yet despite getting married separately, they remained committed to one another.
”We were truly soul mates, shy on the outside but unbridled within,” Ann-Margret wrote in her autobiography.
Ann-Margret Olsson, an actress, is regarded as one of the all-time greats today.
Her legacy will last a very long time since she was one of the best live performers that vintage Hollywood has ever produced.
But today, we’ll go a little more deeply into her passionate connection to Elvis Presley.
Even though Ann-Margret has been very coy about what actually transpired between the two celebrities, she did reveal some very intriguing details in her autobiography, My Story.
Although it is unknown when Ann-Margret and Elvis first connected, we do know that the blonde Swedish actor fell in love with her while filming Viva Las Vegas in 1964.
Presley ultimately decided to wed Priscilla, but Ann-Margret asserts that the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll and she were soul mates. Additionally, Elvis’ future wife would suffer greatly as a result of their chemistry and love affair.
Everyone could see Ann-Margret and Elvis’ enthusiasm while Viva Las Vegas was being filmed.
Elvis was able to match her passion and enthusiasm despite the fact that she had previously blasted her previous three male co-stars off the screen. She was his, and he was the best on-screen partner she had ever had, according to Filmink.
The stunning couple’s passion for one another, however, was undoubtedly genuine and persisted off-camera. They didn’t just fall in love on the big screen.
Their attraction was instantaneous and powerful.
“We both felt a current, an electricity that went straight through us,” Ann-Margret said. “It would become a force we couldn’t control.”
Elvis wanted them to wed, according to Ann-Margret. They frequently spent their dates driving up a hill, gazing down at the city, and conversing.
Ann-Margret had further evidence that she was a special girl for Elvis since he occasionally requested to be fully alone with her. Elvis’s showing of faith in her only served to deepen their relationship.
“We were truly soul mates, shy on the outside but unbridled within. We both lived on the edge and were self-destructive in our own ways… In many ways, if you put aside the celebrity and what we achieved so quickly, we both remained very childish and were emotionally insecure,” Ann-Margret writes in her book.
The bond Elvis had with Priscilla Presley posed an issue, though. Elvis had requested that Priscilla, then 17 years old, move in with him in Memphis a year prior to the Viva Las Vegas premiere.
But when Ann-Margret and Elvis were filming in Hollywood, she wasn’t there.
Elvis was cheating on her, but unlike the other women he had a crush on, Priscilla thought that his relationship with Ann-Margret posed a genuine threat to their relationship. Elvis vehemently denied everything, but Priscilla was aware of his plans.
Prior to her wedding, Priscilla was afraid of the gorgeous blonde, but in the end she realized that the vivacious and charismatic Swede was too much like Elvis. They were “mirror images,” which wasn’t ideal given Elvis’ principles. His perspective on marriage was conventional and conservative. Ann-Margret did not meet the profile; Priscilla Presley did.
After Viva Las Vegas, they kept exchanging love letters, but eventually Elvis realized he had to terminate things with Ann-Margret.
”We knew that our relationship had to end, that Elvis needed to fulfill his commitment,” Ann-Margret wrote in My story.
According to the actress, it was a “confusing situation” as their romance flamed out.
“There were other factors in Elvis’s life that forced him apart from me, and I understood them,” she said.
Although their romantic relationship ended, the couple stayed in contact after Elvis’ marriage to Priscilla. ”The King” used to send her guitar-shaped floral bouquets every time she performed in Las Vegas.
Ann-Margret and Elvis remained lifelong friends, and when she didn’t receive any flowers after a show in 1977, she knew that The King was dead. Ann-Margret was the only female co-star of Elvis’s to attend his funeral.
Husband’s illness
Looking back on Ann-Margret’s career, the 81-year-old actress and artist has delivered some unforgettable moments on the big screen, and some iconic songs that are still played today.
Born in Sweden in 1941, the bona fide Hollywood legend rose to stardom in the 1960s. Ann-Margret comes from a very tiny village in northern Sweden – few could have guessed that she would become one of the world’s most famous faces.
In 1946, she and her family left her Swedish hometown, consisting of ”lumberjacks and farmers high up near the Arctic Circle,” and migrated to the United States.
”When mother and I left, there were 160 residents,” she said.
Ann Margret’s breakthrough came as a singer – her sultry and vibrant voice resulted in her being labeled the female version of Elvis Presley. Soon, Hollywood discovered that she had the whole package – and the timing was perfect for her intensity as a performer.
Beginning in 1961, she has worked in the entertainment industry for more than six decades.
She starred as the all-American teen Kim from Sweet Apple, Ohio in the musical romantic comedy Bye Bye Birdie in 1963, which was possibly her most important performance. Due to the success of the film, Ann-Margret twice graced the cover of Life Magazine.
Although Ann-Margret is proud of her career, she claims that her long-term union with actor and manager Roger Smith is the high point of her life. The couple got hitched in 1967 and remained united in matrimony till Roger’s terrible passing in 2017.
”When I look back at my life, I am most proud of my marriage,” she said.
Their union had a rocky beginning, but their marriage was everything Ann-Margret could have hoped for. The Bye Bye Birdie actress sobbed during their civil wedding ceremony in Las Vegas because she was feeling depressed.
The wedding was not at all as she had imagined.
Thankfully, in the end, it didn’t matter. Roger Smith and Ann-Margret had a special bond; they were a committed pair who were always by each other’s sides.
“Now in Roger I’ve found all the men I need rolled into one — a father, a friend, a lover, a manager, a businessman,” the actress mentioned.
“It’s perfect for me. I couldn’t exist without a strong man.”
The residence they acquired in Los Angeles in 1968 is still home to Ann-Margret.
Like most couples, Ann-Margret and Roger had their share of difficulties. After 13 years of trying, Ann-Margret was unable to become pregnant. She tried every tool at her disposal, including a fertility pump, without success.
Ann-Margret eventually gave up and concentrated on being the best stepmother she could be for the three kids Roger had from a previous relationship.
When Ann-Margret’s lifelong partner passed away, she was 76 years old. She wasn’t surprised by Roger’s passing in 2017 because her spouse had to give up acting in the 1980s due to myasthenia gravis. He also had Parkinson’s disease, which compounded the effects of his vein and nerve disorders.
Additionally, because of his condition, Ann-Margret had to take time off from work to take care of him. Throughout his protracted illness, she remained completely devoted to her partner.
”I kept saying no, no to everything because I was taking care of him. If you’re a spouse, if one of you has a broken wing, the other takes over,” she said.
Although Ann-Margret, of course, mourned her husband’s death, she managed to move on with her life.
“She certainly mourned for Roger but, more than anything, she fondly recalled the life they made together,” a friend told Closer Weekly in 2019. “To her, a great love story doesn’t end with death. You carry their spirit with you.”
Loves motorcycles
The talented woman keeps herself occupied as of 2023. She has a purple Harley Davidson and enjoys riding motorcycles.
The 81-year-old actress, who is still in great shape, enjoys the wind in her hair and the might of the machine beneath her. She’s clearly not quite ready to bid you “Bye Bye” yet.
“If I ride somewhere, to like a biker place, mine is the only lavender bike there. All the Harleys and Ducatis, there’s my lavender with the flowers. Interesting. They get a kick out of it,” she claims.
She’s still involved in Hollywood and appeared in the TV movie A Holiday Spectacular in 2022. She has also found love again – although she hasn’t disclosed his name. According to the actress, the new man in her life is no stranger and falling in love again is a ”nice feeling,” she says.
”I’m so thankful for everything. And I’m very thankful that I have another day. Yup,” the Swedish native explained.
This lady had an amazing career! And we will always respect her for it as well as for her dedication to her spouse throughout his protracted illness!