Ann-Margret Olsson was the not-so-secret girlfriend of the King of Rock ’n’ Roll, Elvis Presley, and despite the couple never marrying, their love story was quite passionate and full of romance.
The pair first met on the set of their film, Viva Las Vegas in 1964 and instantly fell in love with each other. They started dating and continued to see each other very often while Presley was busy making his next movie, Kissin’ Cousins.
The couple never officially confirmed their relationship, however, it was reported that they were briefly engaged in 1965. But due to Presley’s marriage commitment with Priscilla, he and Ann-Margret had to end their relationship.
While the two were still in relationship, the pair was popular for their electrifying chemistry and strong bonding. They were not only lovers but also close friends.
Although Ann-Margret appeared in more than 70 movies throughout her acting career, she only made four movies with Elvis, including Viva Las Vegas, Kissin’ Cousins, Girl Happy, and Harum Scarum.
“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,” the Swedish actress and singer wrote in her autobiography, My Story.
After his marriage to Priscilla, Presley would often send guitar-shaped bouquets to Ann-Margret during her concerts in Las Vegas. They remained lifelong friends and always stayed in touch until Presley’s death in 1977.
According to the Swinger singer, when she didn’t receive flowers by the end of her show in 1977 in LA, she knew something was wrong. Later she was informed of the king’s passing. She also attended his funeral and was reportedly the only female costar of Presley to be present during his funeral.
“We both felt a current, an electricity that went straight through us,” Ann-Margret wrote in her book. “It would become a force we couldn’t control. We knew that our relationship had to end, that Elvis needed to fulfill his commitment.”
Looking at her career as a singer and actress, Ann Margret’s singing and acting career span over seven decades. She was born in 1941 in Sweden first rose to stardom in 1960s – initially she was billed as the female version of her beau, Elvis Presley.
She made her debut in Hollywood in 1961 by appearing in Frank Capra’s film, Pocketful of Miracles with Bette Davis for which she was also awarded a Golden Globe Award later in the category of New Actress of the Year.
The actress appeared in several other top-charting films including, Bye Bye Birdie, Grumpy Old Men, The Villain, Queen Bees, Carnal Knowledge, Made in Paris, State Fair, A Tiger’s Tale, the Loss of a Teardrop Diamond, and Mr. Kinky.
As for her marital life, following her split with Presley, Ann-Margret married actor and producer, Roger Smith. The couple tied the knot in 1967 and stayed together until Smith’s passing in 2017.
It was a happy marriage, although the Viva Las Vegas could never become a mother of her own children, she owned the three children Roger shared with his ex-wife.
The couple lived a happy and content life together and supported each other throughout their relationship. Speaking of her accomplishments during an interview with Closer Weekly, the performer said,
“When I look back at my life, I am most proud of my marriage. We both wanted it to work. And it did work,” she said. “We were together night and day. We loved each other and were always in each other’s corner.”
Ann-Margret was 76 when Roger Smith passed away after a long battle with myasthenia gravis – a nerve and vein disorder. He also had Parkinson’s disease.
Today, the 81-year-old actress lives in Los Angeles in the same house she bought with her late husband, and own a pet cat named Harley who is 18 years old and her companion – he even sleeps with her every night.
She is also passionate about motorbikes and owns a purple Harley Davidson.
”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 said.
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