Ann-Margret says she was ‘always sad filming ‘A Streetcar Named…
Ann-Margret doesn’t have the fondest recollections from “A Streetcar Named Desire.”
The actress, 84, mirrored on her experience playing Blanche DuBois in the 1984 TV film based on Tennessee Williams’ iconic play during a latest Interview Magazine piece, calling the function “a rough one.”
“I knew it had to be as honest as I could be, and that was it,” she explained. “I did the very best I could.”
Ann-Margret in “A Streetcar Named Desire.” Everett Collection / Everett Col
Ann-Margret in “A Streetcar Named Desire.” ©ABC/Courtesy Everett Collection
When requested about Williams eager to solid Ann-Margret in the film ten years before it was made, she said she was “thrilled that he liked my work and he wanted me to do it.”
“I was thrilled! My goodness, Tennessee Williams. I admired him so much,” she shared.
The Hollywood legend also addressed how she had a tough experience making the movie, confirming that on the last day of taking pictures director John Erman needed to remind her it was “just a movie.”
“People saw me crying when I was all alone and that’s when he came in and said that, because I had gotten to such a point that I was always sad, so that’s when he came in,” she remembered.
Ann-Margret attends the seventh Annual Daytime Beauty Awards in Sept. 2025. Getty Images
Ann-Margret in “A Streetcar Named Desire.” Courtesy Everett Collection
Ann-Margret, Treat Williams in “A Streetcar Named Desire.” Courtesy Everett Collection
“And it took you a while after filming wrapped to get out of that mindset as Blanche DuBois?” interviewer Andrew Hopf requested, to which Ann-Margret replied, “That is true.”
Hopf added, “That’s awful,” as Ann-Margret agreed, “Yeah, it was.”
“A Streetcar Named Desire” is about a former Southern belle who strikes into an residence in New Orleans after experiencing a collection of losses.
The ABC TV film, which also starred Treat Williams, Beverly D’Angelo, Randy Quaid and Erica Yohn, got here out one yr after Tennessee Williams died at age 71 in Feb. 1983.
Beverly D’Angelo, Treat Williams, Ann-Margret in “A Streetcar Named Desire.” ©ABC/Courtesy Everett Collection
Ann-Margret beforehand revealed that she sought assist from a psychiatrist to deal with filming “A Streetcar Named Desire.”
“I’m an emotional actress, not a technical one. I called her at 2 in the morning. I was losing it. She said, ‘Can you hear me?’ It was like she was speaking from another planet. I tried to focus on her and couldn’t,” she told The Washington Post in 1984.
Ann-Margret in “A Streetcar Named Desire.” Courtesy Everett Collection
Ann-Margret in “A Streetcar Named Desire.” Everett Collection / Everett Col
“She said I was in a psychotic state and would remain there for a few hours. But she assured me I was still Ann-Margret Smith,” the actress recalled. “I had to stay in that state for five more hours. When the filming was over, John embraced me for a long time. He said, ‘It’s okay. You’re still Ann-Margret.’”
“It stayed with me for eight weeks,” she revealed. “I’d have flashbacks. I’d heard stories of actresses who’d been affected by parts. But I never knew anyone who’d been through that. I was Blanche. It still comes back.”
Ann-Margret is also well-known for her roles in “Bye Bye Birdie,” “Viva Las Vegas,” “The Train Robbers” and more.
We give you the latest trending matters on C-lebrity. Get the best latest Entertainment news and content on our web site daily.