Swedish Actress May Britt Dies at 91
Swedish actress May Britt, known for her roles in films like The Young Lions and The Blue Angel and for her marriage to entertainer Sammy Davis Jr., died on December 11 at the age of 91. She passed away from natural causes at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center in Los Angeles, her son Mark Davis confirmed to the Hollywood Reporter.
Born Maj-Britt Wilkens on March 22, 1934, in Lidingö, Sweden, Britt began her career as a photographer's assistant in Stockholm. At 18, she was discovered by Italian producers Carlo Ponti and Mario Soldati, who cast her in the 1953 film Jolanda, the Daughter of the Black Corsair. She relocated to Rome, adopting the professional name May Britt, and appeared in several Italian productions, including The Unfaithfuls with Gina Lollobrigida and Fatal Desire with Anthony Quinn.
In the mid-1950s, Britt moved to Hollywood after signing with 20th Century Fox. She debuted in the 1956 epic War and Peace, portraying Sonya Rostova opposite Audrey Hepburn, Henry Fonda, and Mel Ferrer. Her notable films included the 1958 World War II drama The Young Lions, where she played Marlon Brando's love interest alongside Montgomery Clift; The Hunters, co-starring...