May Britt, the elegant Swedish actress who rose to fame in the 1950s and later became the second wife of entertainment legend Sammy Davis Jr., has died. She was 91.
Britt passed away on Dec. 11 from natural causes at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center, her son Mark Davis confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.
Discovered at just 18 by famed Italian producer Carlo Ponti, Britt quickly launched an international film career. After starring in several Italian productions, she was screen-tested in Rome and signed by 20th Century Fox in 1957, setting the stage for her Hollywood breakthrough.
She appeared opposite Robert Mitchum in the Korean War drama The Hunters (1958) and played a love interest to Marlon Brando in the World War II epic The Young Lions (1958). Often described as a warmer, more approachable version of Greta Garbo, Britt truly captured attention when she starred as cabaret performer Lola-Lola in The Blue Angel (1959), a remake of the film that had made Marlene Dietrich a star. At the time, many in Hollywood assumed the role would go to Marilyn Monroe.
Britt followed that success with Murder, Inc. (1960), portraying a singer-dancer caught in a dangerous mob world. In both films, she showcased her singing and dancing talents in addition to her dramatic range.
Her personal life soon drew as much attention as her career. Britt met Sammy Davis Jr. after one of his performances at the Mocambo nightclub in Los Angeles. Their romance unfolded during a time when interracial relationships faced widespread discrimination. Davis broke off a previous engagement, and Britt converted to Judaism before the couple announced their engagement in 1960.
They married on Nov. 13, 1960, in a ceremony at Davis’ Los Angeles home, with Frank Sinatra serving as best man. Britt was 26, Davis 34. At the time, interracial marriage was still illegal in many U.S. states, and the couple endured death threats and constant scrutiny, sometimes requiring round-the-clock security. Not long after their engagement became public, Fox chose not to renew Britt’s contract.
Despite the pressures, they built a family together. Their daughter Tracey was born in 1961, and they later adopted two sons, Mark and Jeff. However, Davis’ demanding career took a toll, and the couple divorced in 1968. Even so, their daughter later said they never stopped loving each other. Davis once explained that his relentless performance schedule made it impossible for him to be the family man Britt wanted.
Born Majbritt Wilkens on March 22, 1934, in Lidingö, Sweden, Britt was raised by her father, a postal clerk, and her mother, a housewife. Before acting, she worked as a photographer’s assistant. Ponti discovered her in Stockholm and cast her in several early films, including The Unfaithfuls and The Devil Is a Woman. She went on to work with stars like Anthony Quinn and Vittorio De Sica, and appeared in King Vidor’s War and Peace (1956), which helped bring her to Hollywood’s attention.
Britt briefly married Stanford student Edwin Gregson in 1958, a relationship that ended in divorce two years later. Around that time, she appeared on the cover of Life magazine, which dubbed her a star with a new style.
After divorcing Davis, Britt largely stepped away from acting. She made occasional television appearances and later starred in the 1976 horror film Haunts. In a 1999 Vanity Fair interview, she said she had no regrets about leaving her career behind. “I loved Sammy, and I had the chance to marry the man I loved,” she said.
Davis went on to marry Altovise Gore in 1970, remaining with her until his death in 1990. Britt remarried in 1993 to Lennart Ringquist, an entertainment executive and horse breeder. He died in 2017.
Britt is survived by her sons Mark and Jeff, her sister Margot, and several grandchildren. Her daughter Tracey Davis died in 2020 at age 59.