These days, younger moviegoers may have no idea who Ann-Margret is, but she was once one of the biggest names in Hollywood. Two years after making her feature film debut alongside the famous Bette Davis in Pocketful of Miracles, she dazzled in the breakout hit Bye-Bye Birdie. This musical was full of catchy tunes, but nobody liked the songs as much as they liked Ann-Margret. Her character falls head over heels with an Elvis-like character, something almost every woman watching could sympathize with. As for the men, they were too busy wishing they could date this beautiful actress, and she soon became a national symbol.
Ann-Margret acted with Elvis in her very next film (Viva Las Vegas), cementing her status as a bona fide Hollywood legend. Over time, though, she became less and less prominent, eventually falling off the pop culture radar altogether. But she popped back up recently at a USO event intended to honor the 85-year-old entertainer. All these decades after her Hollywood debut, Ann-Margret still looks absolutely stunning. And in honor of a lifetime of achievements, we decided this was the perfect time to catch up on a lifetime of accomplishments from this amazing actress.
The birth of a star
After reading that intro (you didn’t skip the intro, did you?!?), you already know a bit about how Ann-Margret got her start in Hollywood. It all started in 1961, when she made her debut in the film Pocketful of Miracles. The movie wasn’t a huge hit, but it did give this new actor screen time alongside some major movie celebs, including Peter Falk and Bette Davis. Two years later, she starred in Bye-Bye Birdie, a musical that quickly became a critical and commercial smash. Ann-Margret then became a world-famous sex symbol, and her career took off in some unexpected ways.
For example, after her breakout role in Bye-Bye Birdie, Ann-Margret voiced a cartoon version of herself on The Flintstones: Ann-Margrock. Still, if Bye-Bye Birdie had been her only real hit, the actor would likely have faded into insignificance after a year or two. But then she starred in Viva Las Vegas with Elvis Presley, the undisputed King of Rock’N’Roll. The signified that she was now one of Hollywood’s brightest new stars. She spent the next few years acting in other films (including Made In Paris and Carnal Knowledge) and has spent decades as a successful actor.
Her later career
It’s undeniable that Ann-Margret’s career was at its hottest in the ‘60s and ‘70s. After that, she stopped headlining as many movies, and she didn’t appear in nearly as many headlines. Because of this, some people (even some of her biggest fans) thought that she had retired or otherwise left the acting industry. However, the surprising truth is that Ann-Margret didn’t fully stop acting until 2022. That was the year that she starred in A Holiday Spectacular, which is (as of this writing, at least) seemingly her final film.
As she got older, Ann-Margret did get a bit less prolific. Or, at the very least, she got far pickier about the roles she wanted to play. She started acting on TV more, including playing (who else?) Cinderella in The 10th Kingdom. Afterward, it became more common for her to start in only one or two very small roles for an entire year. While the roles got smaller, and the breaks got a little longer, one thing remained the same: Ann-Margret always dazzled audiences, whenever and wherever she appeared.
Overcoming unexpected tragedy.
On this site, we often write about celebrities who have overcome trauma. Most of that is typically emotional trauma, like growing up with distant parents or trying to survive in a cutthroat industry. While that trauma is certainly valid, Ann-Margret faced much scarier: a near-death experience. It all happened back in 1972, when she fell from a 22-foot platform in a fall that could have easily claimed her life.
Obviously, she survived the fall, which was a small miracle. She broke several bones upon impact, including some of the bones in her face. Had she gotten scarred on her face, it could have ruined her career; even if she tried to fix it, any surgery might (as happened with Jennifer Grey) completely ruin her iconic look. But as luck would have it, Ann-Margret escaped with no facial scars, and she continued to be known as one of Hollywood’s hottest actors.
Feeling the need for speed.
If you’re an Ann-Margret superfan, you might already know much of her life story. So, what don’t you know about this awesome actress? What most fans have never realized about Ann-Margaret is that she loves driving motorcycles. In fact, she drove her Harley Davidson around until she was in her early 80s!
Not just any Harley, either. It’s a lavender bike with white flowers on both the front and back fenders. Frankly, the thing is absolutely adorable, and it happens to be the perfect symbol for its rider. Classy, sassy, and just a little bit dangerous? That’s Ann-Margret for you!