Biography for
Ann-Margret More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

28 April 1941, Valsjöbyn, Jämtlands län, Sweden

Birth Name

Ann-Margret Olsson

Nickname

Slugger

Height

5' 5" (1.65 m)

Mini Biography

Swedish born singer, with red hair who started her Hollywood career in quiet roles that usually went unnoticed. She was discovered by the legendary George Burns (1896-1996), when she was just a cabaret singer, and was often typecast as a singing sexpot. In the early 1970s, she suffered a very bad fall that nearly ended her Hollywood career, but she fought back to be cast as a sexy older woman type. Twice nominated for an Academy Award: for Carnal Knowledge (1971), and Tommy (1975).

IMDb Mini Biography By: Robert Jervis-Gibbons

Mini Biography

This Swedish-born actress and singer was one of the most famous sex symbols and actresses of the 1960s and beyond. She continued her career through the following decades, into the 21st Century. Born in Sweden in 1941, she came to America at age 6. She studied at Northwestern University and left for Las Vegas to pursue a career as a singer. She was discovered by George Burns and soon afterward got both a record deal at RCA and a film contract at 20th Century Fox. In 1961, her single "I Just Don't Understand" charted in the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 Charts. Her acting debut followed the same year as Bette Davis' daughter in Frank Capra's Pocketful of Miracles (1961). She appeared in the musical State Fair (1962) a year later before her breakthrough in 1963. With Bye Bye Birdie (1963) and Viva Las Vegas (1964) opposite Elvis Presley, she became a Top 10 Box Office star, teen idol and even Golden Globe nominated actress. She was marketed as Hollywood's hottest young star and in the years to come got awarded the infamous nickname "sex kitten." Her following pictures were sometimes ripped apart by critics (Bus Riley's Back in Town (1965) and The Swinger (1966), sometimes praised (The Cincinnati Kid (1965)). She couldn't escape being typecast because of her great looks. By the late 1960s, her career stalled, and she turned to Italy for new projects. She returned and, by 1970, she was back in the public image with Hollywood films (R.P.M. (1970) opposite Anthony Quinn), Las Vegas sing-and-dance shows and her own television specials. She finally overcame her image with her Oscar-nominated turn in Mike Nichols' Carnal Knowledge (1971) and succeeded in changing her image from sex kitten to respected actress. A near-fatal accident at a Lake Tahoe show in 1972 only momentarily stopped her career. She was again Oscar-nominated in 1975 for Tommy (1975), the rock opera film of the British rock band The Who. Her career continued with successful films throughout the late 1970s and into the 1980s. She starred next to Anthony Hopkins in Magic (1978) and appeared in pictures co-starring Walter Matthau, Gene Hackman, Glenda Jackson and Roy Scheider. She even appeared in a television remake of Tennessee Williams's masterpiece play "A Streetcar Named Desire" in 1983. Another late career highlight for her was Grumpy Old Men (1993) as the object of desire for Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. She continues to act in movies today.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Moonie

Spouse

Roger Smith

(8 May 1967 - present)

Trivia

1995: Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#10).

1972: Survived a dramatic 22-foot fall from a stage in a Lake Tahoe, NV, concert.

Was a cheerleader at New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois. Other New Trier graduates include Ralph Bellamy, Charlton Heston, Rock Hudson, Hugh O'Brien, Bruce Dern, Penelope Milford, Virginia Madsen and Liz Phair.

Attended Northwestern University (Evanston, IL).

She formed a lifelong bond of friendship with Elvis Presley in their first pairing in Viva Las Vegas (1964). It was kept alive by Elvis' habit of sending a bouquet of flowers to all of her stage-show appearances, until he died in 1977. She reveals her romance with Elvis in her autobiography.

8/19/2000: She suffered three broken ribs and a fractured shoulder when she was thrown off a motorcycle she was driving in rural Minnesota.

November 1960: Discovered by actor/comedian George Burns when he heard her sing in a campus musical at Northwestern University and hired her to be a part of his Las Vegas act.

Appeared on a network TV show featuring up-and-coming talent, and lost to a man who played "Lady of Spain" by blowing onto a leaf.

Appeared on the cartoon show "The Flintstones" (1960) as "Ann-Margrock".

Measurements: 35-23-35 (in 1965), 36D-25-36 (in 1986), (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)

Speaks Swedish fluently.

She is a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. She was initiated in the Tau chapter (Northwestern) in 1960.

Is portrayed by Rose McGowan in Elvis (2005) (TV).

Rode a 500cc Triumph T100C Tiger motorcycle in The Swinger (1966) and the same model fitted with a non-standard electric starter in her stage show. A keen motorcyclist, she was featured in Triumph Motorcycles' official advertisements in the '60s--for obvious reasons!.

Toured Vietnam with the USO during the Vietnam war.

She had two Billboard Club Play charting hits.: in 1979 with "Love Rush," which climbed to #8, and in 1980 with "Midnight Message," that peaked at #12.

Was first choice to play Gypsy Rose Lee in Gypsy (1962).

Is not a natural redhead. That was Sydney Guilaroff's idea. The legendary hairdresser was also responsible for turning Lucille Ball into a redhead.

Both films for which she was Oscar nominated, Carnal Knowledge (1971) and Tommy (1975)), also co-starred Jack Nicholson.

Her mother's name is Anna.

Wrote her autobiography when she heard that an unauthorized biography was in the works and wanted to beat the unauthorized biography to press.

Turned down the leading role in Cat Ballou (1965), which eventually went to Jane Fonda.

Ann-Margret and George Burns (who discovered her) were both Oscar nominees in 1975 (respectively for Tommy (1975) and The Sunshine Boys (1975). Mr. Burns won but not Ann-Margret.

Combining her previous work in Viva Las Vegas (1964) with Elvis Presleyand guest starring on "The Flintstones" (1960) as Ann-Margrock, she sang the title song in the Flintstones live action movie prequel The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000).

Personal Quotes

The critics had an image of me, and they wouldn't accept any other . . . I was a cartoon character. A joke.

I was very flattered by the sex-kitten thing because I never thought of myself as that.

[on Elvis Presley] He's an animal. Definitely an animal. A very interesting animal.

Salary

State Fair (1962)

$500 per week

Where Are They Now

(March 2003) Performing in her first nightclub act in more than a decade at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Her last live performance was at Caesars in Atlantic City 11 years prior.

(April 2004) Will be appearing in Branson, Missouri with Andy Williams at his Moon River Theatre from April 23 to May 30th and again from Sept 10th to October 26th.

(1994) Release of her autobiography, "Ann-Margret: My Story".

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