At 84, Ann-Margret is proving once again that nothing can keep her down. The beloved actress, singer and dancer has shared a reassuring health update after suffering a recent fall at home that left her with a broken right elbow. But true to form, the Hollywood legend is already focused on bouncing back.
“I fell the other day and so now my right elbow is broken,” Ann-Margret told Parade, adding with her trademark resilience: “That’s okay … I have fallen so many times. I don’t intend to, but I do! What can I say?”
The screen icon was forced to cancel an autograph signing while she rested, but she made it clear that fans needn’t be too concerned. When asked if she was on the mend, Ann-Margret replied confidently: “Yes, I am. I sure am!”
For longtime fans, her upbeat response will come as little surprise. Over the course of a glittering six-decade career, Ann-Margret has built a reputation not only as one of Hollywood’s most dazzling stars, but also as one of its toughest.
© Getty ImagesShe first shot to fame in the early 1960s with roles in hit musicals including Bye Bye Birdie and Viva Las Vegas, in which she starred opposite Elvis Presley. Her electric screen presence and undeniable charisma quickly made her one of the era’s most captivating stars.
But Ann-Margret also carved out an acclaimed dramatic career, earning Oscar nominations for her performances in Carnal Knowledge and Tommy. Along the way, she picked up five Golden Globe Awards, an Emmy for her guest role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and multiple Grammy nominations.
© Getty ImagesHer latest health scare is far from the first time she has had to dig deep. In 1972, Ann-Margret suffered a devastating 22-foot fall from a stage platform while preparing to perform at a casino in Lake Tahoe.
Writing in her memoir My Story, she recalled the extent of her injuries, revealing that her face had been “collapsed and swollen beyond recognition,” while she also suffered multiple fractures, a broken jaw and a broken arm. Doctors feared she might never dance again. Yet just months later, she was back on stage.
© Getty Images“I have always learned from my parents that you just get up,” she said. To make her point, the ever-showstopping star even broke into song, quoting Jerome Kern’s classic ‘Pick Yourself Up’: “I pick myself up, I dust myself off, and I start all over again.”
She also broke four ribs and a shoulder in a 2000 motorcycle crash, however she shrugged it off during an appearance on Larry King Live. “There are two types of motorcycle riders: ones who have had an accident and ones who will,” she said.
It’s that spirit that has defined Ann-Margret’s extraordinary life – and why, even after another painful setback, there’s little doubt she’ll be back on her feet in no time.
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