Ann-Margret is reflecting on her late husband, Roger Smith, in a new social media tribute.
The Hollywood legend, best known for films including “Bye Bye Birdie,” shared a throwback photo and message honoring Smith, who died in 2017. The couple were married for decades, and she continues to publicly celebrate their love story.
Ann-Margret Honors Roger Smith With Throwback Photo
In a new Instagram post, the actress looked back on her marriage to Smith and how much their relationship still means to her.
“They say Hollywood marriages don’t last, but with Roger by my side, I knew we’d prove them wrong,” she wrote. “Fifty years later, and I still remember the way he made me laugh in the back of that car.”
Alongside the message, she posted a vintage photo of the couple sitting in the backseat of a car. Smith is dressed in a gray suit and holds sunglasses in his hand as she smiles beside him.
Ann-Margret on Roger Smith: ‘I Was Impressed’
The actress first met Roger Smith around the time she appeared in her first feature film, 1961’s “Pocketful of Miracles,” which also starred Bette Davis. At the time, she was just starting out in Hollywood and had not yet become known for the roles that later made her a household name. Smith, who was in his late 20s, was already a familiar face on television as a star of “77 Sunset Strip.”
Smith later described his first impression of her in a 1976 interview with New York Magazine.
“Every other woman I met was falling all over me,” he said, “but this innocent, fresh-faced beauty only spoke to me when I spoke to her and the rest of the time ignored me. I was impressed.”
The two did not reconnect until five years later. By then, her career had reached a high point and had begun to slow, while Smith’s series “77 Sunset Strip” had ended. Smith was also separated from his first wife, Australian actress Victoria Shaw.
They started dating after he invited her to a San Francisco nightclub where he was performing. Smith took her to dinner the next night, followed by a ride on his private plane the day after.
Years later, she made it clear she felt certain about their future early on. In a 1994 interview with The New York Times, she said, “The man that I married is the man I knew I was going to marry on the third date.”
The Once Revealed She Wanted Show Business ‘All My Life’
Born Ann-Margret Olsson in Sweden, she has said her path to entertainment started with a clear goal she shared with her parents as a child.
“I remember wanting to be in show business all my life,” she told Fox News in 2024. “And I remember one day I said to mother and daddy, ‘I want to talk to you. It’s a very, very important thing for me, and I want to get into show business.’”
She said her parents supported her ambition. The star was later discovered by comedian George Burns, who gave her a major opportunity by bringing her into his Las Vegas show — a stepping stone that helped launch her career.
Blanche DuBois Role Was ‘A Rough One’
The actress recently looked back on one of her most demanding performances: playing Blanche DuBois in the 1984 television adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire.”
Speaking with Interview Magazine, she said the role required emotional honesty from start to finish.
“Playing Blanche DuBois was a rough one,” she said. “I knew it had to be as honest as I could be, and that was it. I did the very best I could.”
She also addressed long-standing reports that Williams wanted her to play Blanche years before the project was made, saying it meant a great deal to her.
“I was thrilled that he liked my work and he wanted me to do it,” she said. “I was thrilled! My goodness, Tennessee Williams. I admired him so much.”
Ann-Margret Says the Role Left Her ‘Always Sad’
She also shared that the emotional weight of the character didn’t disappear the moment filming wrapped.
She recalled director John Erman stepping in after noticing how affected she was, telling her it was “just a movie.”
“Oh, yeah, because people saw me crying when I was all alone,” she said. “And that’s when he came in and said that, because I had gotten to such a point that I was always sad.”
She confirmed it took time to move past the character, saying it took her “a while” to “get out of that mindset as Blanche DuBois.”
