May Britt, the Swedish-born actress whose Hollywood career and personal life placed her at the center of one of America’s most controversial interracial marriages, has died at the age of 91.
Her son, Mark Davis, confirmed that she died of natural causes on December 11 at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Moved to Hollywood in the 1950s
Born Maj-Britt Wilkens on March 22, 1934, in Lidingö, outside Stockholm, she grew up far from the glamour of international cinema.
Her path to stardom began unexpectedly while she was working as an assistant to a photographer in Stockholm, Sweden. There, in the early 1950s, she was discovered by Italian filmmakers Mario Soldati and Carlo Ponti, who were searching for a fresh, unconventional young actress.
She made her film debut in Italy in adventure and drama films, including Jolanda, the Daughter of the Black Corsair (1953), and quickly became a familiar face in European cinema. Her work in Italy eventually led to a role in King Vidor’s lavish 1956 adaptation of War and Peace, starring Audrey Hepburn and Henry Fonda.
That performance caught the attention of Buddy Adler, head of 20th Century Fox, who offered her a long-term studio contract.
Britt moved to Hollywood in the late 1950s and was soon cast opposite major stars. She appeared with Robert Mitchum in the Korean War drama The Hunters (1958) and played a romantic interest to Marlon Brando in The Young Lions (1958). Her breakthrough came in Edward Dmytryk’s 1959 remake of The Blue Angel, where she took on the iconic role of cabaret performer Lola-Lola, famously portrayed by Marlene Dietrich in the original film. That same year, she appeared on the cover of Life magazine, hailed as a star with a striking new style.
Marrying Sammy Davis Jr.
In 1960, she starred in Murder, Inc., but her rising career soon collided with the social realities of the time. Britt had married Edwin J. Gregson, an American real estate heir, in 1958, but the marriage ended the following year. In 1959, she met entertainer Sammy Davis Jr., and their relationship quickly became headline news
The couple married in November 1960, after Britt converted to Judaism. Their union sparked intense controversy in the United States, where interracial marriage was still illegal in many states.
Britt and Davis faced widespread hostility, including harassment and death threats, and at times lived under armed protection. The backlash had professional consequences as well: 20th Century Fox declined to renew Britt’s contract shortly after their engagement became public, effectively ending her studio career.
Despite the pressure, Britt later said she never regretted her decision. She stepped away from acting to focus on family life, and the couple had a daughter, Tracey, in 1961, later adopting two sons, Mark and Jeff. Although their home was marked by outside hostility, their daughter later recalled that it was filled with love.
One rumor that still persists to this day is that President Kennedy refused to let Sammy Davis Jr. play at his inauguration. Davis, who was a devoted Democrat and supported Kennedy in the 1960 election campaign, was initially scheduled to perform, only to be denied on account of his marriage to Britt, according to her daughter Tracey’s book from 2014.
“It was disappointing, but I was prepared for anything, I knew what I was getting into,” Britt said in her daughter’s book.
After the divorce
Britt and Davis separated in 1967 and divorced the following year, amid reports of Davis’s demanding career and personal strains.
After the divorce, Britt returned briefly to acting, appearing in television series such as Mission: Impossible and The Danny Thomas Hour, and starring in the horror film Haunts (1976). Her final screen appearance came in 1988.
In later years, Britt lived quietly in California, devoting herself to painting and family life. In 1993, she married Lennart Ringquist, an entertainment executive and horse breeder; they remained together until his death in 2017. She was portrayed by Megan Dodds in the 1998 television film The Rat Pack.
May Britt is survived by her sons, her sister Margot, and several grandchildren. Her daughter Tracey died in 2020 at the age of 59.
Remembered both for her film work and for the courage she showed in defying social barriers, May Britt occupies a unique place in Hollywood history — not only as a screen star, but as a woman whose personal choices challenged the prejudices of her era. RIP May Britt!
