Decades after captivating audiences, Ann-Margret looked different than fans remember.
In photos obtained by Closer, Ann-Margret, 85, was photographed arriving at an event at a Los Angeles hotel on Saturday, October 31. Hotel staff met her with a wheelchair, helped her out of the vehicle and rolled her inside.
The star flashed a wide smile in the shots. Her signature red hair was swapped for a golden blonde look, styled in a shoulder-length cut. She wore tinted glasses, a green blazer, a black top with a silky black neck scarf, black pants and black shoes. Her accessories included a cross necklace, a ring and a pale blue manicure.
Photo credit: GPRESS/MEGA
She became one of the most desired leading ladies of the 1960s, starring in Bye Bye Birdie and opposite Elvis Presley in Viva Las Vegas. She later proved her dramatic range with Oscar-nominated performances in Carnal Knowledge and Tommy, then won over a new generation in Grumpy Old Men and Grumpier Old Men. She also collected five Golden Globe Awards and an Emmy.
The actress got candid about her career and growing older in a sit-down with fellow screen legend George Hamilton for Interview magazine in 2014. “Can you believe we’re still here? I thought for some reason that I would be gone by 39,” she said.
Ann-Margret even planned a secret exit. “So I did what I thought was a farewell tour for three weeks in 1971. Nobody knew,” she told Hamilton, 87.
Photo credit: GPRESS/MEGA
When he asked whether she thought her career was over, she replied, “I thought, ‘Well, that’s it. I’m leaving the industry.’ But then I was retired for a year, in my mind, and then I said, ‘Honey, I don’t think I want to be retired. I’d like to go on stage again.'”
Taking on Carnal Knowledge, the film that helped her break away from her glamorous image, pushed her to her limits. “It was quite an experience. I actually had nightmares,” she said, per Interview.
Performing was always her escape. “I’m always a different person when I get up and perform, because then I don’t have to be nervous. I don’t have to be myself,” she explained to Hamilton, adding: “Well, I love performing. I always have, since I was four years old.”
This story Hollywood Icon Ann-Margret, 85, Looks Unrecognizable in Wheelchair During Rare Los Angeles Outing first appeared on Closer Weekly. Follow Closer Weekly on Yahoo so you don’t miss what’s coming next.