Britt Ekland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Britt Ekland
Ekland in 1972 by Allan Warren
Born	Britt-Marie Eklund (1942-10-06) 6 October 1942 (age 82) Stockholm, Sweden
Nationality	Swedish
Occupation	Actress model singer
Years active	1959–present
Spouse(s)	Peter Sellers ​ ​ (m. 1964; div. 1968)​ Slim Jim Phantom ​ ​ (m. 1984; div. 1992)​
Partner(s)	Lou Adler (1972–1974) Rod Stewart (1975–1977) Phil Lewis (1979–1981)
Children	3, including Victoria Sellers
Parent(s)	Sven Eklund (father)

Britt Ekland (born Britt-Marie Eklund; 6 October 1942) is a Swedish actress, model, and singer. She became famous in the 1960s and 1970s. She appeared in many films during this time. Some of her well-known movies include Get Carter (1971) and the horror film The Wicker Man (1973). She also played a Bond girl named Mary Goodnight in the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun (1974).

Britt Ekland continued acting in the 1970s and 1980s. Later, in the 1990s, she mostly performed in stage shows. She also made appearances on reality television. Her life in the public eye, including her marriage to actor Peter Sellers and her relationship with singer Rod Stewart, made her a very famous person in the 1970s. She was one of the most photographed celebrities of that time.

Early Life and Beginnings

Britt Ekland was born Britt-Marie Eklund in Stockholm, Sweden. Her mother, Maj Britt, was a secretary. Her father, Sven Eklund, owned a clothing store. He was also a captain of the Swedish national curling team. He was a four-time national champion. He even served as president of the World Curling Federation.

Britt grew up with three younger brothers. She has shared that she struggled with her weight as a child. As a teenager, Ekland left school to travel with a theatre company. A talent agent discovered her in Italy. This led her to London to try out for films.

Acting Career Highlights

Ekland with Lee Majors in The Six Million Dollar Man (1973)

Britt Ekland started with small roles in Swedish films. These included Kort är sommaren (1962). Her first big role was in the Western film Advance to the Rear (1964). In the same year, she was cast in the British film Guns at Batasi. However, she left the movie production early due to personal reasons.

In 1964, she appeared in the TV film A Carol for Another Christmas with her husband, Peter Sellers. They made two more films together: After the Fox (1966) and The Bobo (1967). She then starred in The Night They Raided Minsky's (1968). This role earned her good reviews. She also appeared in the crime drama Stiletto (1969). After this, she made several Italian films.

In 1971, she played a leading role in the crime film Get Carter. She starred alongside Michael Caine. The 1970s also saw Ekland in several horror films. These included What the Peeper Saw (1972) and Asylum (1972). Her most famous horror role was in The Wicker Man (1973). In this film, her voice was changed to hide her Swedish accent.

Other roles included the thriller The Ultimate Thrill (1974). On television, she was in The Six Million Dollar Man: Wine, Women and War (1973). Her next big role was as the Bond girl, Mary Goodnight. This was in the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun (1974). She also had a comedy role in Royal Flash (1975).

In 1976, she spoke the French part at the end of Rod Stewart's song "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)". Ekland also played real-life people. She was Anny Ondra in the TV film Ring of Passion (1978). She appeared in the horror films The Monster Club (1980) and Satan's Mistress (1982).

In 1978, she hosted a TV show called "Jukebox." This show featured early music videos. She also had roles in films like Fraternity Vacation (1985). She appeared in Scandal (1989). She also guest-starred on TV shows like Superboy in 1990.

Later Career and Appearances

Ekland (second from left) with Åsa Vesterlund, Maria Montazami and Gunilla Persson in 2014

Britt Ekland's later career has mainly been on stage and television. Her last feature film role was in The Children (1990). She has appeared in many pantomimes, like Cinderella. She played the Fairy Godmother in some of these shows.

In 2010, Ekland took part in the reality TV show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. She was also one of the "housewives" on the Swedish reality show Svenska Hollywoodfruar from 2012 to 2014. In 2018, she participated in Let's Dance in Sweden. In 2020, she appeared in The Real Marigold Hotel on BBC TV. She also toured in a play called The Cat and the Canary.

Writing and Legacy

Britt Ekland wrote her autobiography, True Britt, in 1980. This book shared stories about her life. It included details about her marriage to Peter Sellers and her relationship with Rod Stewart. Ekland also wrote a novel called Det Ljuva Livet (Sweet Life).

In 2024, Ekland wrote an introduction for a horror novel. She mentioned that in filmmaking, things are not always as they seem. For example, for The Wicker Man, leaves were glued to trees to make it look like spring.

Britt Ekland's life has also been shown in films. In 2004, Charlize Theron played Ekland in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers. Ekland was very emotional when she saw the film. In 2018, Helena Mattsson played Ekland in the film My Dinner with Hervé.

Personal Life

Ekland and Peter Sellers, 1964

Britt Ekland became famous quickly after marrying English actor and comedian Peter Sellers in 1964. They had a daughter named Victoria Sellers in 1965. The couple made three films together before they divorced in 1968.

In 1973, Ekland had a son, Nicolai Adler, with record producer Lou Adler. She also had a well-known relationship with rock star Rod Stewart. They met in 1975 and lived together for over two years.

In 1984, she married Stray Cats drummer Slim Jim Phantom. She was 42 and he was 23. They had a son, Thomas Jefferson, in 1988. They divorced in 1992.

Filmography

Film

Television

Reality Television

Discography

• "Do it to Me once more (with feeling)" / "Private Party" (1979) No. 15 SWE

Images for kids

• 

  Ekland in 2019

See also

In Spanish: Britt Ekland para niños