One of the most famous actresses of her time was Angie Dickinson. She earned praise for her amazing acting skills and received several awards for her remarkable roles.
Now at 92 years old, it seems that her past fame has faded. Keep reading to find out more about what she’s up to these days.
Angeline Dickinson, known as Angie, is an American actress who has had a great career in television. She started in the early 1950s by appearing in various anthology shows. Later, she landed a role in “Gun the Man Down,” and you might also know her from her Golden Globe-winning performance in “Rio Bravo.”
The actress never considered herself a “feminist.” She believed that women needed to compete with men. Even though she didn’t identify as a feminist, her stance allowed many women to have more options.
“I didn’t see myself competing with men when I was auditioning for a part; it was a role meant for a woman,” she explained.
When asked about the ongoing pay gap for actresses, she said she wasn’t worried about it. The actress mentioned that she felt “happy” with the salary she received at that time.
She also expressed disappointment about not being able to use “Police Woman.” “The show didn’t explore enough,” she mentioned. In her view, the series was “too perfect.” She wasn’t a fan of how every episode wrapped up neatly and had very little violence.
The actress wished that her show had shown harsher consequences for the bad guys. She appreciated modern TV shows that depict these situations more realistically, like “Southland” and “Detroit 1-8-7.”
She shared that during the peak of the show’s success, she often received letters from fans saying how she inspired them to follow careers in law enforcement.
When “Police Woman” premiered, the actress was in her 40s and worked really hard to deliver an amazing performance. She put in double the effort compared to younger actresses, and instead of losing her looks as she aged, her beauty seemed to shine even more.
Many people found her enchanting, which led to rumors about her close ties with the Rat Pack. After she starred alongside Frank Sinatra in the original Ocean’s Eleven, there were notorious claims that they had a ten-year affair. It was also rumored that Angie had relationships with former President John F. Kennedy and Dean Martin.
The actress made a notable appearance with George Clooney in the 2001 film “Ocean’s 11.” As a Hollywood icon, she continues to earn praise from the industry.
In a 2020 interview, she shared a surprising revelation. When asked about her experience on “Police Woman” during her visit to the CBS Sunday Morning Show, she confessed that she felt like she wanted to “throw up” when she was first offered the role.
She described the experience as a “horrendous undertaking” back then. She mentioned that the show produced 20 to 21 episodes each season, which was quite a lot of work. She told the producers she would commit to four years, but that was her limit!
She also revealed that she didn’t receive much pay for her four years on the show, concluding that it “wasn’t worth it” and that it drained years of her life.
When asked why she accepted the role, she simply said that David Gerber had promised her it would make her famous. However, she admitted that while she wanted that at the time, people’s desires often change.
The actress has been married twice. She first married Gene Dickinson in 1952, but they divorced in 1960. Later, she married Burt Bacharach, and they were together from 1965 to 1981. Bacharach was also married before.
The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter named Nikki. She was born in 1966, about three months early. Years later, Angie revealed that Nikki had Asperger’s syndrome, which is a type of autism spectrum disorder often referred to as “high-functioning autism.”
Nikki went on to study geology at Cal Lutheran University. Sadly, her vision worsened over the years, preventing her from following her career dreams. After her parents placed her in a specialized facility, she spent ten years there.
Tragically, Nikki took her own life in her Thousand Oaks condo in 2007 at the age of 40. A public statement indicated that she did this to “escape the struggles” she faced in her mind.
Later on, Angie described her daughter as “amazing, funny, and really smart.” That’s right, all my best memories are about her.
When Angie first met Bacharach, he was still a newcomer in the music world, while she was already famous. But soon after, Bacharach gained recognition for writing songs for Butch Cassidy and for Dionne Warwick.
Angie was happy to step back and let him shine as he got busier, wanting to be a better wife and mom. She even said no to some projects just to stay close to home. Before “Police Woman” came out, she had taken a break from the industry for a while.
She had a rule in her contract when she got hired that said she needed to be home by six o’clock, but things didn’t go as she planned. To make sure her family had dinner on time, she often picked up Italian takeout on her way back from work. It took her years to understand what Bacharach meant when he said she was always angry.
Eventually, she realized that she blamed herself for even the tiniest issues, which was hurting her marriage. She started to wonder if being a mom in Hollywood was worth it and if her husband would have loved her more if she had chosen to stay at home.
Before they got divorced, the couple had been living separately for five years. Since Bacharach was the dad of her daughter, Angie kept photos of him in her home, even though they were both dating other people during that time.
Angie’s daughter was a drummer and a musician too. Their relationship was challenging and often tense, especially after Nikki became involved with a religious group when she was just 14.
Nikki felt she wasn’t as feminine as her mom and said she would “never be as feminine.” Despite this, the two women had a strong connection, and Angie always wanted her daughter to be close to her.
Angie took Nikki to Hawaii while she was working on the movie “Pearl.” However, when they went into the water, they encountered a strong tide that caused them to hit a coral reef. Angie was really worried they wouldn’t get through it, but luckily, she was able to keep her daughter safe and dry.
Nikki faced some health challenges due to being born early, including issues with her eyesight. She was also autistic. Even though Angie and Nikki sometimes had disagreements, Angie always understood when her daughter was feeling upset.
Angie decided to leave her job so she could spend more time caring for Nikki, who needed extra attention for her health. She said, “It wasn’t a sacrifice.” She explained that if it weren’t for her daughter needing her, she would have been acting in plays in Chicago or something similar. But instead, she found herself without much free time.
After Nikki tragically took her own life, Angie sought comfort from her friends, including Veronique, who was married to Gregory Peck and knew Tony Kushner. One of Kushner’s plays about losing someone close helped Angie cope with her grief.
Earlier this year, on February 8, 2023, Burt Bacharach passed away at the age of 94. Nikki was Angie’s only child, while Burt had other kids. Angie and the famous composer had separated and divorced for various reasons, including his infidelity, which he admitted in his autobiography.
Angie often talked about how the composer didn’t love her like most people do. “He didn’t respect me,” she mentioned. When asked if she loved him, she simply replied “yes.”
Now, the actress lives alone in her Beverly Hills house, enjoying a peaceful but lonely life. She’s not seen out and about very often, which is understandable given her age. Her last movie was “Elvis Has Left the Building” in 2004, and she made a guest appearance on the TV show “Mending Fences” in 2009.
Since then, she hasn’t been completely absent from the screen. She appeared in a PBS documentary called “I’ve Gotta Be Me,” which was about Sammy Davis, Jr. At 79, she described herself as “lucky.” “I was in the right place at the right time for so many amazing experiences,” she said. She made friends with many famous people and had romantic relationships too. It truly was a wonderful life, and it still is.
She mentioned that if she were to return to acting, she wouldn’t want to play “grandmother roles.” Instead, she considered doing theater or “one-woman shows.”
She says that being in TV and movies can be tough at 93 years old. “Even at my age, I still deal with the glamour-girl syndrome: You know, she has great legs, but she can’t act,” she mentioned, talking about her ongoing focus on looking good.
Clint Eastwood, who was sitting next to her in 2008, joked about how makeup artists didn’t pay much attention to him anymore at his age. But the actress revealed that her experience was different. She confessed that she felt exposed without her hair and makeup because she had gotten so used to them.
You get really focused on how you look, she said afterward. I’m over elevators that lack mirrors. When you hit fifty, everything changes, no matter who you are.
The actress is known for being private and not sharing much about her life. She mentioned that this might be why publishers aren’t keen on her revealing the truth. “But I’m not going to share everything, you know?” she explained. That’s just not me. Maybe one day, if I feel inspired, I’ll perform a solo show.
Alexandra Becket, a writer for LA Magazine who often took care of Angie’s cats, described her as “the sweetest neighbor I could ever have” in a neighborhood filled with famous Hollywood stars.
Reports say that the actress lives by herself. Hopefully, she’s doing well and isn’t feeling lonely!
All these modern claims about “finally strong women” make me chuckle. Long before these so-called “firsts,” Angie was already making waves with her grace, beauty, and fearless attitude.
As I grew up, I saw many strong women on TV and in movies who were trailblazers in their industries. It seems like everyone has just forgotten about them.