Ann-Margret biography

In 1968, Ann-Margret was contracted by CBS to host a number of television specials, which featured Lucille Ball, Danny Thomas, and Jack Benny. During her time with CBS, she continued to regularly perform in Vegas, where she was often referred to as "The Queen of Vegas" and "The Swedish Meatball."

Two years later Ann-Margret met and married the former star of ABC's 77 Sunset Strip,

Roger Smith. Her new husband doubled as her personal manager. Under Smith's influence, she attempted to shed her sex-kitten image by taking on more serious roles. She succeeded when Mike Nichols cast her as the tragic Bobbie Templeton in 1971's Carnal Knowledge, which starred Jack Nicholson. Ann-Margret’s supporting role was considered a breakthrough dramatic performance, establishing her as a credible actress, as well as earning her an Oscar nomination.

Comeback

On November of 1972, while appearing in a Lake Tahoe Casino, Ann-Margret had a devastating brush with death. While performing an extravagant opening sequence, she plummeted from a 22-foot platform, landing face down. After a dramatic and life-saving rescue, she fell into a coma for three days suffering broken bones in her face. She was taken back to Los Angeles to recover. Shortly after, the actress lost her beloved father to cancer. Ann-Margret's accident, coupled with the death of her beloved father, led to a growing dependency on alcohol. Her addiction took its toll, and before long, she spiraled into a severe depression. However, with the support of her husband, she worked to rebuild her life and career, emerging as a healthier and more vibrant woman.

Ann-Margret elicited favorable reviews for her part in the 1973 Western The Train Robbers, opposite John Wayne. She earned another Oscar nomination for her role in the film version of the rock opera Tommy (1975), and gave a notable performance alongside Anthony Hopkins in Magic (1978). As the decade progressed, she was featured in a few forgettable films, including The Cheap Detective (1978); The Villain (1979), which costarred Arnold Schwarzeneggar and Kirk Douglas; and Middle Age Crazy (1980).

During the 1980s, Ann-Margret enjoyed a succession of Emmy Award nominations for her performances in some of the decade’s most acclaimed TV movies. She shed her glamorous image to give a convincing performance as a sickly Iowa farm wife in Who Will Love My Children? (1983). The following year, she played Blanche Dubois in the ABC remake of A Streetcar Named Desire (1984), and in 1987, she was cast in her first television miniseries, The Two Mrs. Grenvilles.

Later Roles

In the '90s Ann-Margret alternated between TV and films. She was introduced to a new generation with her role in the 1993 comedy hit Grumpy Old Men, and it's equally popular 1995 sequel Grumpier Old Men. She continued her television success, receiving her fourth Emmy nomination for the miniseries Queen (1993), in which she was barely recognizable in her portrayal of a woman who ages 60 years over the course of the film.