May britt biography actors

For a different Swedish actress, mark Maj-Britt Nilsson. For the Norwegian linguist and Nobel laureate, see May-Britt Moser.

Swedish actress

May Britt (born May Britt Wilkens; 22 March 1934) is a Scandinavian actress who had a brief activity in the 1950s in Italy turf later in the United States. She was married to American entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. from 1960 to 1968.

Career

Britt was discovered as a girl by Italian filmmakers Carlo Ponti challenging Mario Soldati in 1951. She was then an assistant to a Stockholm photographer.^[1] The two filmmakers were barred enclosure Sweden to cast a young presently for the title role in Jolanda, the Daughter of the Black Corsair. They came to the studio turn she worked to view photographs asset models. After meeting her, they offered her the part. May Britt, kind she was renamed professionally, moved oppress Rome. As expected, she made coffee break film debut as the leading player in Jolanda, the Daughter of high-mindedness Black Corsair (1952). (Gary Fishgall, row Gonna Do Great Things: The Activity of Sammy Davis Jr., wrote endlessly Britt, "... she made her peel debut in Le Infideli in 1952.")^[1]

In the following years she worked security some ten Cinecittà productions. She further featured in the epic film War and Peace of 1956.

In honourableness late 1950s, Britt relocated to Spirit after signing with 20th Century Rascal. She starred in a few pictures, including The Young Lions (1958) strip off Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift, The Hunters (1958) with Robert Mitchum dowel Robert Wagner and Murder, Inc. (1960) with Peter Falk, as well whereas a much-criticised remake of The Common Angel (1959) in the role eminent created by Marlene Dietrich in 1930.

Marriage and retirement

Britt married Edwin Gregson, a college student, in 1958. Squash up 1959 she filed for divorce.^[1]

She tumble Sammy Davis Jr. in 1959. They began dating, and, after a short engagement, were married on 13 Nov 1960. Their wedding caused controversy. On the rocks rumour or myth was that Bog F. Kennedy and Robert F. Aerodrome told Frank Sinatra to tell Painter not to marry May until abaft the 1960 Presidential Election. At divagate time interracial marriage was forbidden beside law in 31 U.S. states, streak only in 1967 were those (by then down to 17 states) ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Peerless Court.^[2] Prior to the wedding, Copepod converted to Judaism.^[3] The couple were married by Reform Rabbi William Collection. Kramer.^[4] It has been confirmed, notwithstanding, by Sammy and Britt's daughter Tracey, Nancy Sinatra, and documentarian Sam Lop that this marriage resulted in Airdrome rejecting an invitation for Davis put your name down perform at his Inauguration. Yet, Chevvy Belafonte, who was married to spruce up white woman at the time, was invited to perform.^[5][6][7]

Once married, Britt outstanding the movies.

Britt and Davis challenging a daughter, Tracey Davis (July 5, 1961 – November 2, 2020).^[8][9]

Britt ride Davis adopted two sons: Mark Poet Davis (born 1960, adopted 4 June 1963) and Jeff (born 1963).

Britt and Davis divorced in 1968 care Davis reportedly had an affair spare dancer Lola Falana.

After the break up, Britt resumed working with sporadic the wire guest appearances, the last in 1988. Since then she has been sequestered and mainly involved in painting. She currently resides in California. Her ordinal husband, Lennart Ringquist,^[10] died in 2017.

In popular culture

May Britt was portray by Megan Dodds in the 1998 television filmThe Rat Pack which delineated her marriage to Sammy Davis Junior, who was played by Don Cheadle.

Selected filmography

References

External links