May Britt: Swedish Star and Sammy Davis Jr’s Former Wife Dies at 91
Swedish actor May Britt, known for her roles in European and Hollywood films and her marriage to Sammy Davis Jr, has passed away at 91. Her son confirmed her death from medical causes.
May Britt, a well-known Swedish actor who once shared the spotlight with Sammy Davis Jr, has died at the age of 91. Her son Mark confirmed she passed away on 11 December at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Centre, following health complications.
From Stockholm to the Silver Screen
Born Maj-Britt Wilkens, she was first noticed in Stockholm in the early 1950s. Soon after, she made the move to Rome, where she adopted her stage name and quickly found her feet in European cinema. By 1957, she’d landed in Hollywood, signing with 20th Century Pictures. Britt’s film credits include starring alongside Marlon Brando in ‘The Young Lions’ (1958), as well as roles in ‘The Hunters’ and ‘Murder, Inc.’
Marriage, Controversy, and Career Shifts
It was during her Hollywood years that she met entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. The pair married in 1960, a move that stirred up plenty of controversy in the US, where interracial marriage was still illegal in most states. Britt converted to Judaism before the wedding, with Frank Sinatra standing as best man. After the marriage, her acting opportunities dwindled when her contract with 20th Century Pictures wasn’t renewed. The couple faced serious threats and had to hire security around the clock. Their daughter Tracey was born in 1961, and they later adopted two sons, Mark and Jeff, in 1963. The marriage ended in 1968, reportedly due to Davis’s infidelity, but the two managed to stay on friendly terms.
Family Life Under Scrutiny
Tracey, their daughter, spoke in 2014 about the challenges her parents faced:
“It was very difficult … there were death threats, there were bad words written on our car, they looked for bombs, we had armed guards.”
Despite the toll on her career, Britt told Vanity Fair in 1999,
“I loved Sammy, and I had the chance to marry the man I loved.”
Tracey also recalled her father’s words about the split:
“I just couldn’t be what she wanted me to be. A family man. My performance schedule was rigorous.”
Later Years and Legacy
After the divorce, Britt tried to return to acting, but only managed a handful of short TV roles. She spent most of her later years painting. In 1993, she married Lennart Ringquist, who passed away in 2017. Britt is survived by her sons Mark and Jeff. Tracey died in 2020 at the age of 59.