I’ve always admired Ann-Margret — warm, sweet, and effortlessly classy. Known for her fiery beauty and talent, she stole hearts on and off screen, famously dating Elvis Presley and supporting Vietnam troops when few others did.
Though her career is iconic — from Bye Bye Birdie to a recent rock album Born to Be Wild — she considers her greatest achievement something more personal: her enduring love with actor Roger Smith.
Despite dating Hollywood stars, it was Roger who truly captured her heart. They met in the ’60s, bonded over motorcycles, and married in 1967. Though their wedding wasn’t glamorous, their love was real. Roger became her manager, guiding her career and helping her evolve beyond the “sex symbol” image into a respected actress, notably in Carnal Knowledge.
Their bond was tested — Ann-Margret battled substance abuse and survived a near-fatal fall in 1972. Roger, who once flew a stolen plane to get her to a hospital, was her rock. Later, when he fell ill with myasthenia gravis and Parkinson’s, she stepped away from her career to care for him.
Though they never had children together, Ann-Margret embraced his three stepchildren and often said her proudest achievement was their marriage. Roger passed in 2017, but their love story remains a Hollywood rarity — full of devotion, strength, and mutual respect.
One photo from 1985 captures it all: elegance, unity, and the quiet awareness of life’s fragility — a lasting portrait of two people who built a life, and a legacy, together.