Ann-Margret, a woman of stunning beauty and undeniable talent, has always been a captivating presence both on and off the screen. Known for her fiery red hair and charming personality, she dated some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, including Elvis Presley, and became one of the few celebrities who truly stood by our Vietnam troops.
Yet, even with all the fame and admiration, Ann-Margret believes her greatest achievement lies in a much more personal part of her life.
Born in Sweden, she made her mark in Hollywood with unforgettable roles in 1960s classics like Bye Bye Birdie and Viva Las Vegas. Her romance with Elvis was legendary, but as it turns out, he wasn’t the true love of her life.
Meeting Roger Smith
Ann-Margret had her fair share of famous boyfriends, but it was Roger Smith who captured her heart for good. Roger was a handsome actor known for roles in hits like 77 Sunset Strip and Mister Roberts. He was used to women fawning over him, but Ann-Margret wasn’t like the others.
“Every other woman I met was falling all over me,” Roger recalled. “But this innocent, fresh-faced beauty only spoke to me when I spoke to her. The rest of the time, she ignored me.”
They met in the 1960s, through their Hollywood careers, but it wasn’t until 1965 that they started seriously dating. Roger knew Ann-Margret loved motorcycles, so to win her over, he bought one himself.
“When I first started going out with her, there were a lot of guys hanging around. But they didn’t ride motorcycles. So I figured if I had one, it would help,” Roger said. “It worked.”
By their third date, Ann-Margret was sure Roger was the one she’d been waiting for. “I knew he would protect me. I knew that I could depend on him. I sensed it completely,” she said in a 2017 interview.
A Rocky Wedding Start
In 1967, the couple tied the knot in Las Vegas. But what should have been a joyous day didn’t go as planned. The wedding took place in a smoky room at the Riviera Hotel, and Ann-Margret couldn’t stop crying. “This is not the way I envisioned my wedding,” she told People.
“I think everyone thought I was pregnant because I cried through the whole thing. But we did it.”
Thankfully, the rocky start didn’t affect their marriage. Soon after, Roger became Ann-Margret’s manager, putting his own career on hold to support hers. He believed she had more talent than he did and was determined to help her reach her full potential.
“Now in Roger I’ve found all the men I need rolled into one—a father, a friend, a lover, a manager, a businessman,” Ann-Margret said in 1972. “It’s perfect for me. I couldn’t exist without a strong man.”
Roger helped Ann-Margret break away from her “sex kitten” image and take on more serious roles, like her breakout performance in Carnal Knowledge in 1971. He knew she had the potential to be more than just a Hollywood bombshell, and he was right.
Battling Addiction and Injury
Ann-Margret’s life wasn’t always glamorous. During the 1970s, she struggled with addiction to pills and alcohol. Things got even worse in 1972 when she suffered a near-fatal fall from a 22-foot platform while performing in Lake Tahoe. The fall shattered her face, and she had to undergo reconstructive surgery, with her mouth wired shut.
Incredibly, just 10 days after the accident and with 59 stitches, she made a triumphant return to the stage, riding a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, her signature flair intact. Roger played a crucial role in her recovery. He piloted a plane from Burbank, California, to rush her to surgeons at UCLA Medical Center, saving her life.
Roger Smith’s Illness
In 1980, their marriage faced another challenge when Roger was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, a neuromuscular disease that left him bedridden for long periods. The illness forced him to step back from managing Ann-Margret’s career, and it affected their lives deeply.
However, by 1985, Roger’s illness went into remission, and Ann-Margret reignited her career, with Roger supporting her return to the Las Vegas stage. They even made one final attempt to have children, but despite seeing fertility experts, they were unable to conceive. This was one of Ann-Margret’s biggest regrets.
A Love That Endured
Ann-Margret and Roger remained together until his death in 2017 at the age of 84. Roger passed away due to complications from myasthenia gravis, after years of also battling Parkinson’s disease. His illness had required Ann-Margret to take a break from her career to care for him full-time.
“I kept saying no to everything because I was taking care of him,” she explained. “If you’re a spouse, if one of you has a broken wing, the other takes over.”
Despite the pain of losing him, Ann-Margret has always looked back at their life together with pride. “When I look back at my life, I am most proud of my marriage,” she told Closer Weekly. “We both wanted it to work. And it did work. We loved each other and we were always in each other’s corner.”
Capturing a Legacy in a Single Photo
One of the best ways to understand the bond between Ann-Margret and Roger Smith is to look at a photo of them taken on January 1, 1985, in New York. It shows them both at the height of their careers, dressed elegantly, with a backdrop of rich green curtains that make the photo feel almost royal.
Roger’s steady gaze and Ann-Margret’s serene smile reflect the depth of their love and connection, even as Roger was already starting to battle his illness.
The photo is a powerful reminder of their strength as a couple—an image that captures not just their glamour, but their enduring partnership. They faced the ups and downs of life together, and their love story remains one of Hollywood’s most beautiful legacies.
