Swedish Film Star May Britt Dies Aged 91
May Britt, renowned for her European film career and marriage to Sammy Davis Jr, has passed away at 91. Her life was marked by cinematic success, controversy, and resilience.
May Britt, a prominent figure in European cinema and once married to Sammy Davis Jr, has died at the age of 91. Her son, Mark, confirmed that she passed away on 11 December at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Centre, following medical complications.
From Stockholm to the Silver Screen
Born Maj-Britt Wilkens in Sweden, she was discovered in Stockholm during the early 1950s. Her journey soon took her to Rome, where she adopted the stage name May Britt and quickly made a name for herself in the European film industry. By 1957, she had signed with 20th Century Pictures and relocated to Hollywood, where she appeared in films such as The Young Lions alongside Marlon Brando, The Hunters, and Murder, Inc.
A Marriage in the Spotlight
It was during her time in Hollywood that she met entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. The pair wed in 1960, a union that drew significant attention due to prevailing attitudes towards interracial marriage in the United States at the time. Most states still prohibited such marriages, and the couple faced considerable public scrutiny. Britt converted to Judaism before their wedding, with Frank Sinatra acting as best man. However, her career suffered after 20th Century Pictures chose not to renew her contract, and the couple were forced to employ constant security due to threats.
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, though the two remained amicable.
“It was very difficult … there were death threats, there were bad words written on our car, they looked for bombs, we had armed guards,”
Tracey recalled in 2014, reflecting on the challenges her parents faced. Britt herself told Vanity Fair in 1999,
“I loved Sammy, and I had the chance to marry the man I loved.”
Life Beyond the Limelight
After the divorce, Britt attempted to revive her acting career, but found opportunities limited to brief television roles. She turned her focus to painting, a passion she pursued for many years. In 1993, she married Lennart Ringquist, who passed away in 2017. Britt is survived by her sons, Mark and Jeff. Her daughter Tracey died in 2020 at the age of 59.
Reflecting on her parents’ relationship, Tracey once shared that Davis Jr explained their separation by saying,
“I just couldn’t be what she wanted me to be. A family man. My performance schedule was rigorous.”