Hollywood loves a tragedy. It feeds on the messy divorces, the public meltdowns, and the "irreconcilable differences" that usually show up after three years and two house renovations. But Ann-Margret and Roger Smith didn't play by those rules. They stayed married for 50 years. Five decades. In Tinseltown, that's not just a record; it’s practically a miracle.
Most people see the surface: the "Sex-Kitten" of the 60s and the handsome star of 77 Sunset Strip. They see a husband who quit his own acting career to manage his wife’s. But if you look closer, the story is way more complicated—and honestly, kind of gritty. It wasn't just red carpets and Vegas lights. It was wire cutters, life-altering falls, and a chronic illness that turned their world upside down.
The Meet-Cute That Wasn't
They actually met twice. The first time was in 1961 on the set of Pocketful of Miracles. Ann-Margret was just starting out, fresh-faced and shy. Roger was already a TV heartthrob. He noticed her because, unlike every other woman in the room, she basically ignored him.
He liked that.
Fast forward five years. They met again in San Francisco. This time, the spark didn't just flicker; it roared. By their third date, Ann-Margret knew. She just knew. "The man that I married is the man I knew I was going to marry on the third date," she later told the New York Times.
But there was a catch. Roger was still technically married to Victoria Shaw, and he had three kids. Ann-Margret’s parents? Not thrilled. Her mother, especially, was wary. But when you know, you know.
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The Wedding Nobody Envisioned
On May 8, 1967, they tied the knot at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas.
Forget the Pinterest-perfect weddings of today. This was a five-minute civil ceremony in a room filled with cigarette smoke. Ann-Margret spent most of it crying. Not necessarily "happy tears" either—she was overwhelmed, the setting was bleak, and people actually whispered that she was only rushing into it because she was pregnant. She wasn't. She just loved him.
Why He Walked Away From the Spotlight
This is the part that usually confuses people. Why would a successful actor like Roger Smith just... stop?
By the late 60s, Roger realized something. He was a good actor, but he believed his wife had "raw talent" that far eclipsed his own. He also hated being apart from her. While she was filming in Italy or London, he was stuck in LA. It sucked.
So, he made a radical choice. He became her manager.
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He didn't just book her gigs; he saved her. When they got together, Ann-Margret was actually in debt despite her fame. Roger was a shrewd businessman. He cleared her books in two years and began crafting her transition from "the female Elvis" to a serious, Oscar-nominated actress. He pushed for her role in Carnal Knowledge (1971), the movie that finally made critics take her seriously.
The Lake Tahoe Fall: A Turning Point
September 1972. Tahoe.
Ann-Margret was performing her high-energy show when she fell 22 feet from a platform. It was horrific. She broke her arm, her jaw, her cheekbone, and her orbital bone. She was lucky to be alive.
Roger didn't just wait in the wings. He flew a plane to get her to the right doctors. He sat by her bed while her jaw was wired shut. He even insisted that their friends carry wire cutters whenever they went out to eat—just in case she choked and they had to cut the wires so she could breathe.
That’s not just "management." That’s devotion.
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The Shadow of Illness
For the last few decades of their marriage, the roles flipped. Roger was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis in 1980, a chronic autoimmune disorder that causes severe muscle weakness. Later, he battled Parkinson’s disease.
The man who had spent years guarding her career and her physical safety now needed her to guard his. Ann-Margret didn't blink. She became his primary caretaker, often scaling back her own work to be with him. People wondered how she did it. She’d just say, "We both want it to work."
Roger passed away on June 4, 2017. He was 84.
What We Can Learn From Them
If you’re looking at the lives of Ann-Margret and Roger Smith for inspiration, don't look at the glitz. Look at the grit. Their "secret" wasn't complicated:
- Prioritize the Partnership: Roger realized early on that their relationship couldn't survive the "long-distance" nature of two separate acting careers. He chose the marriage over his ego.
- Adapt to the Season: They took turns being the "strong one." When she was broken in Tahoe, he carried her. When his muscles failed him, she became his strength.
- Humor is Non-Negotiable: Ann-Margret often said they survived "weird situations" because they laughed before anyone else could laugh at them.
Next Steps for the Curious:
If you want to see the result of their professional collaboration, watch Carnal Knowledge (1971). It is the definitive turning point in her career that Roger fought for. For a glimpse into their early chemistry, look for clips of them together on This Is Your Life, where you can see the genuine, unscripted way they looked at each other even decades into their marriage.