At 83, This Hollywood Icon Remains A ‘Timeless Beauty’ Despite Surviving 22-Foot Fall & Needing Facial Reconstruction

Dec 06, 2024 by apost team

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Actress, singer and dancer Ann-Margret has been stealing hearts on stage and in film since the 1960s. She is best known for her performances in the movies “Bye Bye Birdie,” “Viva Las Vegas,” “The Cincinnati Kid,” “Carnal Knowledge,” and “The Train Robbers,” among others. Ann-Margret has taken home five Golden Globe Awards and has been nominated for two Academy Awards, two Grammy Awards and six Emmy Awards. She won the Emmy for Best Guest Appearance at the 2010 Primetime Emmy Awards for her performance in “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.”

Ann-Margret was born in Stockholm, Sweden, on Apr. 28, 1941. Her family moved to the United States in 1946 and settled outside Chicago, Illinois. In 1949, Ann-Margret became a naturalized citizen of the US. The star later attended New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, where she participated in theater. In 1959, Ann-Margret began attending Northwestern University but left to pursue her entertainment career.

Beginning her entertainment career in 1961, the film “Bye Bye Birdie” launched Ann-Margret to stardom in 1963. Then, in 1964, she starred alongside Elvis in “Viva Las Vegas,” and they had a short romance before becoming lifelong friends. 

While working on the film “Once a Thief” in 1965, Ann-Margret met her future husband, Roger Smith, best known for starring in the series “77 Sunset Strip.” They began dating, and they were married in 1967. Ann-Margret became the stepmother to Roger’s three children, Tracy, Jordan and Dallas Smith. Roger passed away in 2017, but even today, Ann-Margret remains a loving stepmother and is now a grandmother as well. Read on to learn more about what Ann-Margret is up to now that she is in her 80s.

After her box office hit with “Bye Bye Birdie,” Ann-Margret moved on to “Viva Las Vegas,” where she was joined by another icon who she called “E.P.” In a sitdown interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Ann-Margret opened up about their first meeting. 

“It was kind of awkward,” she said. “‘Hi’ but it was great,” she added. 

However, Ann-Margret’s career came under a devastating threat. In 1972, while performing in Lake Tahoe, she experienced a severe accident. She fell 22 feet from a platform and landed on her face, resulting in multiple injuries, including a broken jaw, cheekbone, and arm. Her injuries were so severe that she required extensive reconstructive surgery.

During that time, the star received countless letters from fans wishing her well. 

“When I first started out,” she said to Roger Ebert in 1983, “I was really, really scared when I performed before an audience. I’d look over their heads. Now there’s a more personal connection. I think that some of the people who wrote those letters are in every audience. The accident really showed me something, and I’m much freer on stage now.”

Despite the severity of the accident, Ann-Margret showed remarkable resilience. She made a full recovery and returned to work just 10 weeks after the fall. This incident is often highlighted as a testament to her strength and determination as a performer, and her career continued to thrive. In 1975, her performance in “Tommy” earned her a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. In the 1980s, Ann-Margret also successfully transitioned to television, winning Golden Globe awards for the TV films “Who Will Love My Children?” and a remake of “A Streetcar Named Desire.”

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However, around the early ’80s, Ann-Margret’s husband Roger was diagnosed with a progressive muscular disease called myasthenia gravis, and doctors estimated he had a 10-year life expectancy. The diagnosis was a blow to Ann-Margret, who told Ebert at the time that Roger sometimes lacks the energy to get out of bed. 

“That really bothers me, when there’s nothing I can do to help him,” she lamented.

She went on to add:

“For him, it worked. For me, it isn’t. One’s enough in the family. Roger is a producer. He loves to engineer things and coordinate things and get everything to happen all at once on schedule in the way it’s supposed to. We get our little nucleus together, Roger and me and our choreographer, and we’re really happy, because we really believe in putting on a show.”

The couple’s marriage was not easy. Between her near-death fall and Roger’s diagnosis, the couple was tested. Due to infertility issues, Ann-Margret was not able to have children of her own. However, the award-winning star said even through all of that, their marriage was more than worth it. 

“It’s very simple actually,” she said. “We both want it to work.” While Ann-Margret and Roger didn’t have children, Ann-Margret did become the stepmother to three children from his marriage to Victoria Shaw.

Ann-Margret also had deep battles of her own. She told the 700 Club that she dealt with alcohol problems as well. 

“I dealt with it. You never really overcome it. But I dealt with it,” she said. She added, “You always have to be aware of it. But, I have been without it now for 32 years. All my life I’ve had this feeling, deep, deep, deep inside of me… my faith and my feelings.”

Roger passed away in 2017, leaving Ann-Margret devastated. However, she managed to pick up the pieces and has been on a mission to live the rest of her life to the fullest. Ann-Margret is still working in Hollywood and has no interest in slowing down. She has consistently worked in television throughout the majority of the early 2000s. She starred in the 2021 film “Queen Bees” in a star-studded cast that included James Caan, Ellen Burstyn and Christopher Lloyd.

“You’re not dead when you reach a certain age,” she said. “You have to keep living and not sit at home and watch TV alone. You have to participate.”

The legendary performer shared, “I always think that age is a natural progression, and I’m ready for it. Whatever! I’m going to be the best 85-year-old I can be.” 

The star actress also still makes time for activities that she loves, like riding her purple Harley motorcycle. 

“You know being outside with the wind and rain whatever out there. It’s just exciting,” she said. 

In February 2024, at the age of 82, Ann-Margret was honored with the Living Legend Award at the Women’s Image Network’s 25th Women’s Image Awards. She reflected on her life and career, saying:

“I am so blessed. I just can’t believe all the things that have happened to me. I never expected it. Never.”

Fans were also full of praise for the cinematic icon.

“You’re still a gorgeous goddess Ann even at your current age❤️ you have aged so beautifully and you still look mighty young!” one fan gushed, as others called her a “timeless beauty,” “a beautiful, lovely & classy lady,” and “so gorgeous and so treasured.”

“You are a national treasure 🔥❤️😍” another fan remarked.

Can you believe that Ann-Margret is still working after all these years in Hollywood? She is a living icon! If you love this legend, be sure to pass this on to other huge fans of hers!