The effervescent and glittering Ann-Margret blows out 80 candles on her cake today! Gulp. As famous for her va-va-voom dancing as much as she ever was for her acting or singing talents, she was rocketed to stardom as a more-than-equal co-star to Elvis Presley (with whom she was alleged to be having more than merely a professional relationship) in Viva Las Vegas, and has had a top-billing stage, television and fim career ever since - she has won numerous awards and accolades for her performances, and was nominated for Best Actress Oscar for her role in Tommy.
All hail "The Kitten With a Whip"!
Facts:
- Ann-Margret's first film was Pocketful of Miracles in 1961, and in 2021 her latest, Queen Bees, is in post-production.
- Apparently, none other than George Burns - who had seen her singing with a band called the Suttletones in Vegas - gave her her first foothold into showbiz when she landed a supporting part in his show.
- She was married for 50 years to actor-manager Roger Smith, from 1967 until his death in 2017.
- Her career was almost ended in 1972 when she fell 22 feet from an elevated stage platform, breaking multiple bones and requiring reconstructive surgery to her face and cheekbones; thankfully it was successful.
- Director Alan Carr wanted Ann-Margret for the role of "Sandy" in Grease, but she [rightly] argued that at 37 she was too old for a teenager role - the character's surname was changed to "Olsson" (her family name) in her honour when the film was finally made.
Many happy returns, Ann-Margret Olsson (born 28th April 1941)
Much more Ann-Margret over at my other blog Give 'em the old Razzle Dazzle
