At 80 years old, the iconic actress and singer Ann-Margret is still making the entertainment world excited. In her 60-year career, she has had a long list of accomplishments and continues to surprise us with her continuing force to be reckoned with. In this article, we explore the story of the 70’s pin-up icon and take a peek at where she is now.

Who is Ann-Margret?

Ann-Margret was born in 1941 to a Swedish family in the small town of Valsjöbyn in Jämtland County, Sweden, and moved with them to the United States when she was a toddler. She grew up in Wilmette, Illinois, and soon found interest in the performing arts, dancing and acting in various local productions until she was spotted by comedian George Burns. He immediately recognized her talent and sent her to appear on a TV show in his native home of Los Angeles. Shortly after, she was snapped up by Johnny Carson, who invited her to appear on his show, the Tonight Show.

Start of Career

Her rising fame continued, and she soon appeared on international TV and in numerous movies. Ann-Margret’s career took a sharp turn in the early 1970s when she starred in the satire movie Carnal Knowledge, directed by Mike Nichols. From there, she was offered a lead role in the box-office hit movie The Train Robbers, starring opposite John Wayne in 1973. The actress went on to star opposite some of the biggest acting icons of the era, from Steve McQueen to Marlon Brando. Ann-Margret earned almost instant recognition for her roles in many of these movies, particularly the one where she was an early dancer in Viva Las Vegas with Elvis Presley.

Rise To Fame

Amidst the television and movie offers, Ann-Margret also started to focus on her music career as a singer-songwriter. Her first album ever, Songs of Sunshine and Love, became a major hit. Soon after that, six consecutive top 10 hits followed, including “I Just Don’t Understand,” which featured backing vocals from The Beatles’ Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” which reached the Top 40. In 1975, Ann-Margret released her first greatest-hits compilation, giving her a place on the U.S. Billboard Top 10 chart for the first time ever.

Personal Life

In 1967, Ann-Margret married actor Roger Smith and the couple had one son together, now correctly known as Alexander Marceline Smith and affectionately known as Andy. After she and Smith split, Ann-Margret stayed in the spotlight. She performed in Vegas and launched her Broadway production, And The World Goes Round, and even earned two Emmy awards for her acting roles during the 90s.

Present Day

Today, at the age of 80, Ann-Margret continues to make headlines and keeps up a very busy life. She is still recording music and performing on Tribute TV specials, recently hosting a show on her homebase – the State of Michigan. She also remains active in independent movies and series such as Grace and Frankie, and is committed to a variety of charity organizations.

Accomplishments

Throughout her career, Ann-Margret’s accomplishments have been widely recognized, including earning five Golden Globe awards, an Academy Award nomination and being inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1982. In 2015, she was awarded the Swedish Royal Order of the Polar Star.

Ann-Margret is one of the most recognizable women of the 70s and continues to be an inspiration to us all with her fierce spirit and determination to keep going. At the age of 80, this legendary singer and actress has earned her place in history and continues to show us that age truly is just a number.