'Bye Bye Birdie' star Ann-Margret makes rare public appearance at charity event

Published 1 day ago• 3 minute read

Ann-Margret is still saying hi hi to the spotlight.

The 84-year-old “Bye Bye Birdie” actress made a rare public appearance at Project Angel Food’s Lead With Love fund-raiser in Los Angeles on Saturday.

Ann-Margret wore a black long-sleeved top, matching leggings and knee-high patterned black boots as she posed for photos on the red carpet.

Ann-Margret attends Project Angel Food’s Lead With Love 6, a fund-raising special televised on KTLA 5 on June 28. Getty Images for Project Angel Food's Lead with Love 6

Ann-Margret attended the charity event to help raise money for for LA fire victims. Robert Smith/INSTARimages

At one point during the televised event that raised funds for Los Angeles fire victims, Ann-Margret had a moment with “Will & Grace” actor Eric McCormack where he asked her about her 1960s dance moves that “captivated the world.”

“They called you the female Elvis,” McCormack, 62, said. “You changed how a generation hit the dance floor. And now you’re a TikTok sensation.”

Ann-Margret with "Will & Grace" star Eric McCormack — Ann-Margret with “Will & Grace” star and event host Eric McCormack. ZUMAPRESS.com

Ann-Margret at a televised fund-raiser for LA fire victims — Ann-Margaret rose to fame with her roles in “Bye Bye Birdie,” “Viva Las Vegas” and “The Train Robbers.” Robert Smith/INSTARimages

McCormack then asked Ann-Margret, “So where did those incredible moves come from? Does everyone in Sweden dance like that?”

“My heart and my seat,” Ann-Margret responded after laughing.

Ann-Margret and Eric McCormack hug at Project Angel Food's Lead With Love 6 charity event. — McCormack asked Ann-Margaret about her 1960s dance moves that “captivated the world.” Getty Images for Project Angel Food's Lead with Love 6

Ann-Margret was born in Sweden in 1941 and moved to the US as a child. She rose to fame from her roles in “Bye Bye Birdie,” “Viva Las Vegas,” “The Train Robbers” and more.

She also became a sought-after sex symbol during the ’60s.

Ann-Margret in "Bye Bye Birdie" in 1963 — Ann-Margret in “Bye Bye Birdie” in 1963. Courtesy Everett Collection

Last year, Ann-Margret accepted an award at the Women’s Image Network Awards in Beverly Hills and reflected on her decades-long career.

“I remember wanting to be in show business all my life,” she said in an interview with People at the event. “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.’”

Ann-Margret dancing in "Bye Bye Birdie" — Ann-Margret dancing in “Bye Bye Birdie.” Courtesy Everett Collection

Bobby Rydell and Ann-Margret in "Bye Bye Birdie" — Ann-Margaret said her iconic dance moves came from “my heart and my seat.” Everett Collection / Everett Collection

“I am so blessed. I just can’t believe all the things that have happened to me. I never expected it,” Ann-Margret added. “Never.”

The “Newsies” star also confirmed that she “of course” still rides her Harley Davidson.

“It’s lavender and it’s got white daisies all over it,” she said about her motorcycle. “There’s flowers on the back fender and on the front fender. I love the speed.”

Ann-Margret and Bobby Rydell in "Bye Bye Birdie" in 1963 — Ann-Margret and Bobby Rydell, who played her boyfriend, in “Bye Bye Birdie.” Courtesy Everett Collection

In May 2023, Ann-Margret boasted that she still has “a lot of energy.”

I am just blessed that my mother and father gave me such great energy. And there’s no negativity here,” she told Fox News Digital at the time. “They instilled in me all of these wonderful things that I still carry with me.”

“You don’t whine about things. You just go out and do the things that you love,” she said. “And I just feel blessed with the life that I’ve been given.”

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