The actress says she knew she wanted to marry him by their third date.
Swedish-born, Midwestern-bred actress Ann-Margret first met actor Roger Smith around the time of her debut in Pocketful of Miracles (1961), featuring Bette Davis. At the time, she was a newcomer, not yet the well-known sex symbol from films with Elvis Presley and Dick Van Dyke. Smith, then in his late 20s, was starring in 77 Sunset Strip.
Smith recalled in 1976, “Every other woman I met was falling all over me, but this fresh-faced beauty only spoke to me when I spoke to her and otherwise ignored me. I was impressed.”
Ann-Margret and Roger Smith wouldn’t meet again until five years later. By then, Ann-Margret’s career was in flux, and Smith was separated from his wife, Victoria Shaw. They began dating after Smith invited her to his San Francisco nightclub performance, followed by dinner and a flight in his private plane.
Ann-Margret later revealed, “The man I married is the man I knew I was going to marry on the third date.” Despite disapproval from her parents due to Smith’s recent divorce and his three children, they married in a Las Vegas civil ceremony on May 8, 1967, at the Riviera Hotel.
Ann-Margret reflected on her wedding to Roger Smith, saying, “This is not the way I envisioned my wedding,” and recalling that her tears led some to believe she was pregnant. Despite the unconventional ceremony, they made it work.
Smith, a shrewd business manager, helped Ann-Margret settle significant debts within two years and became her manager. He admired her talent and felt fulfilled by supporting her career. Their time apart during her work trips strengthened their bond. Smith shared, “When I met Ann-Margret, I felt happy for the first time in my life. Once I found her, I couldn’t stand to be without her, and she felt the same.”
When Ann-Margret was a year old, her father moved to the U.S. for work, leaving her and her mother in Sweden for over five years. During this time, Ann-Margret witnessed her mother’s loneliness and hardship, which some believe contributed to her own fears of abandonment.
Smith reflected, “It might sound corny, but by fulfilling Ann-Margret’s wishes, I liked myself much better. Being with her became more important than my childhood dreams of fame.”
This year marks Ann-Margret and Roger Smith’s 50th anniversary. Throughout their decades together, they’ve supported each other through substance abuse, severe injury, and chronic illness.
In 1971, when Ann-Margret was nominated for an Academy Award, she struggled with addiction. The following year, she fell while performing and suffered severe facial injuries. Smith flew a stolen plane to rush her to UCLA Medical Center, and during her recovery, he had friends carry wire cutters to handle any emergencies due to her wired jaws. Despite the challenges, Ann-Margret made a remarkable recovery and returned to the stage almost completely healed.
In 1980, Smith was diagnosed with the rare neuromuscular disease myasthenia gravis, a chronic autoimmune condition that can cause difficulty swallowing and speaking, and muscle weakness in the arms and legs. But through it all, Ann-Margret, 76, says her marriage to Smith, 84, has lasted because, as she told People, “we both want it to work.”
Well, that, and their shared sense of self-deprecating humor. “We get into weird situations,” she said. “If you can’t laugh at yourself you are in trouble. We laugh before everyone else does.”
