Once celebrated as Hollywood’s ultimate redheaded bombshell, Ann-Margret remains a captivating presence more than six decades into her career.
The legendary actress, 85, was all smiles when she was photographed using a wheelchair during a rare public appearance in Los Angeles last weekend, in exclusive photos obtained by Our News Outlet.
The Viva Las Vegas star, who famously shared the screen with Elvis Presley in the 1964 musical, appeared to be in good spirits as she arrived at a hotel on Saturday with assistance from staff.
Wearing a stylish emerald-green jacket over an all-black outfit, the screen icon looked as glamorous as ever while being wheeled toward the entrance.
She completed the look with oversized dark sunglasses and a silver cross necklace, while her trademark auburn hair rested over her shoulders.
At one point, the two-time Oscar nominee was photographed flashing a broad smile from her wheelchair as she spoke with members of her party.
Hollywood legend Ann-Margret flashed her signature megawatt smile as she was seen in a wheelchair during a rare public outing in Los Angeles last Saturday
The 85-year-old actress looked chic in an emerald-green jacket over an all-black outfit as she was wheeled into a hotel
In other photographs, the beloved actress can be seen standing with support beside a vehicle, with her wheelchair positioned close by.
Ann-Margret has only recently been photographed using a wheelchair. She has also been seen standing and walking, indicating that the mobility aid may primarily help her get to and from venues.
The appearance follows a frightening fall at the Hollywood icon’s home in January, after which she was hospitalized with a broken elbow.
“I fell the other day and so now my right elbow is broken,” the redheaded star told Parade magazine at the time.
Despite the injury, she appeared unfazed and acknowledged that she was no stranger to taking a tumble.
“That’s okay. I have fallen so many times,” she added. “I don’t intend to, but I do! What can I say?”
Ann-Margret rose to fame as one of Hollywood’s biggest sex symbols in the 1960s. She is pictured in the 1964 film The Pleasure Seekers
The Swedish-born star wore her signature reddish locks in soft, shoulder-length waves last weekend
She was assisted by an attendant as she got out of her vehicle, nine months after falling and breaking her elbow
“I have always learned from my parents that you just get up. You just start all over again.”
In 1972, Ann-Margret fell 22 feet from a stage during a concert in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. The accident left her with a broken arm, a severe concussion and facial fractures, including a crushed cheekbone.
Born Ann-Margret Olsson in Sweden in 1941, she moved to the United States with her family as a child and grew up in Illinois.
Her talent and enthusiasm for singing and dancing emerged early. After attending Northwestern University, she pursued a career in show business.
She first drew attention as a nightclub performer, where legendary comedian George Burns spotted her talent and helped launch her entertainment career.
By the 1960s, Ann-Margret had signed a recording contract and was beginning to make her mark in Hollywood.
Ann-Margret last appeared onscreen in the 2022 Hallmark TV movie A Holiday Spectacular
Ann-Margret and Elvis Presley met on the set of Viva Las Vegas, directed and produced by George Sidney in 1964, which led to an offscreen romance
The movie led to Ann-Margret being dubbed the ‘Female Elvis’ and helped propel her to box-office stardom
The 1960s “sex kitten” initially won over audiences with her energetic, uninhibited dancing and magnetic screen presence. Over the years, however, she successfully evolved into a respected and award-winning dramatic actress.
Dubbed the “Female Elvis,” she became a major box-office star through memorable roles in the musical Bye Bye Birdie and opposite Presley in Viva Las Vegas—a film that also sparked a romance between the two stars.
She later married her manager, Roger Smith, and remained with him until his death in 2017. The couple had no children, although Ann-Margret was stepmother to his three children from a previous marriage.
Ann-Margret moved beyond her “singing sex kitten” image with an Academy Award nomination for her raw performance in Mike Nichols’s Carnal Knowledge in 1971.
She earned a second Oscar nomination for her performance in the rock opera Tommy in 1975.
She also appeared in the hit comedies Grumpy Old Men in 1993 and Grumpier Old Men in 1995, starring alongside Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau.
Her most recent screen appearance came in the Hallmark movie A Holiday Spectacular.
Ann-Margret’s honors include five Golden Globe Awards, one Emmy Award, two Academy Award nominations and two Grammy Award nominations.
