Ann-Margret’s Real-Life Love Stories — From Elvis to Her 54-Year Marriage

BYE BYE BIRDIE, Ann-Margret, 1963 — Everett Collection

Ann-Margret turns 85 on April 28, 2026, and while she may be known for her whirlwind romance with Elvis Presley and impressive career, she has still been working in more recent decades. She recently reflected on her personal life, specifically the loss of her husband, Roger Smith. In a recent interview with People, she said, “Roger meant everything to me,” calling their marriage her proudest accomplishment. She added, “We were together [a total of] 54 years. It just flew by because it was really good. I sure miss him! He took great care of me.”

In 2023, she also released a new album, Born to Be Wild, featuring covers and collaborations. More recently, in 2026, she’s been in the news for a mix of honors and personal updates. She’s set to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Chita Rivera Awards. Around the same time, she revealed she suffered a fall at home that resulted in a broken elbow, forcing her to cancel an appearance, though she has said she’s recovering now. In better news, a biopic about her life is reportedly in the works, with Lindsay Lohan in the lead role.

In honor of her birthday and her tribute to her late husband, let’s find out who else she dated during her glamorous career.

Roger Smith

Art Zelin/Getty Images

Ann-Margret met Roger Smith in the mid-1960s, and by May 8, 1967, they were married, beginning what would become a 50-year partnership. Smith was already known for his role on 77 Sunset Strip, but not long after their marriage, he stepped away from acting and took on a behind-the-scenes role, becoming her manager and helping guide her career. Their relationship was unusually stable for Hollywood.

Sadly, Smith died on June 4, 2017, at the age of 84 after battling myasthenia gravis. While the pair did not have any kids together, Ann-Margret became the stepmother to Smith’s three children.

Elvis Presley

Everett Collection

Her most famous relationship was with Elvis Presley during the filming of Viva Las Vegas in 1964. Their chemistry was immediate, and the relationship quickly became one of the most talked-about in Hollywood at the time. She later described it as intense and hard to control, and it didn’t last, largely due to the pressures surrounding Presley’s career and public image.

Burt Sugarman

David Livingston/Getty Images

She was briefly engaged to Burt Sugarman in 1962, when she was still very young and just starting to gain attention in Hollywood. The engagement ended before marriage, and she later acknowledged she wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment at that age.

Sugarman is an American television and film producer best known for creating The Midnight Special, a popular ’70s and early ’80s music variety series that showcased major artists of the era, while also producing several game shows and films.

Eddie Fisher

Everett Collection

Ann-Margret dated Eddie Fisher in the early 1960s, when he was already a well-known and highly public figure, and their relationship didn’t last either. She wrote in her memoir, according to Ranker, “I started dating singer Eddie Fisher, who told me he’d wanted to meet me since the Academy Awards. As always, though, my parents came along on the first few dates. Eddie understood. He was very into family, too, and quickly grasped that my attitude was love me, love my parents. Once, he even arranged for all of us to see him perform at Lake Tahoe. And after we’d been going out a while, he gave me a cute Yorkshire terrier puppy that I named Scoobie, who lived for many years and became part of my family.”

Peter Brown

Everett Collection

Actor Peter Brown was part of her early life in Hollywood, introducing her to premieres and industry events. The relationship itself was short, but he helped her to get acclimated to Hollywood fame.

Gardner McKay

20th Century Fox Film Corp./Everett Collection

She was also linked to Gardner McKay during the mid-1960s, likely during their time working together.

Lou Adler

R. Brigden/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Music producer and filmmaker Lou Adler was another reported relationship, though timelines and specifics are not known.

Adler was a defining force of the ’60s and ’70s, a producer, manager, and director who helped shape the California sound across both decades. He produced Carole King’s Tapestry, as well as The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and directed Cheech & Chong’s Up in Smoke. He helped develop the Monterey International Pop Festival, and he managed the Mamas & the Papas.