It’s safe to say that Angie Dickinson has had one of the most impressive careers in Hollywood. She began working in the industry in 1954, only retiring in 2009. Yet she isn’t out of the spotlight completely. Now in her 90s, she still looks incredible. In a recent interview, she shared the secrets for her impressive health, along with her thoughts on the different movies she acted in over the years.
Time in Hollywood
Angie Dickinson is an American actress with a successful career spanning several decades, known for her many roles in film and television. She gained prominence in the 1950s and ’60s, appearing in notable films such as Rio Bravo alongside John Wayne and Dean Martin. Dickinson became a prominent leading lady in the following years, starring in movies like Point Blank and Big Bad Mama, which showcased her versatility and charisma.
In the 1970s, she also made a mark on television, starring in the crime drama series Police Woman from 1974 to 1978. The role earned her a 1975 Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series. Throughout her career, Dickinson worked with acclaimed directors such as Howard Hawks, John Boorman, and Brian De Palma. She demonstrated her ability to tackle diverse roles across different genres, solidifying her status as one of the iconic actresses of her generation
91 going on 50
Taking one look at Dickinson in 2023, you wouldn’t guess that the actress was 91. But she didn’t shy away from sharing exactly what she thinks has kept her so healthy over the years during an interview with Closer Weekly. When asked how she’s kept her vitality, she said, “I’m largely a vegetarian — except for occasional country fried chicken. I don’t eat a big dinner. I sleep eight hours a night. I do my own gardening, and I stay out of trouble.” Seems like some pretty sound advice.
She also decided to impart more wisdom, sharing with the readers her greatest lessons. Dickinson said, “I’ve learned to never miss a sunset if it’s possible. I’ve learned to be kind when I want to swear like hell. And I’ve learned to just stop talking when I’ve said enough.” Not only did Dickinson share these intimate details, but she also opened up about some of her time in the industry. Having starred alongside some of her generation’s best actors, she had some interesting things to say.
Sharing other secrets
Rio Bravo, which was re-released in 4k in 2023, was the film that catapulted Dickinson to stardom. She recalled how she felt when production first started in the 1950s: “It was extra scary. They all were already there and had a dinner party [to welcome] me. It was John Wayne, Howard Hawks and the cameramen, everybody. It hit me how big a movie this was. I hadn’t realized it until I got there.”
Dickinson also reminisced about her experience on the set of Ocean’s 11, another of the major films she starred in. Speaking of the many male actors, she said, ” Nobody was as lucky as I was to be around them! They were full of pranks, as you can imagine with 11 of those guys, and monkeying around and playing tricks on each other. I wasn’t part of the tricks. That was a man’s world. But it was a great honor to be in the movie.”
Thoughts on John Wayne
The actress was asked about various past relationships as well, including Frank Sinatra and Burt Bacharach. Even though she was never involved with him on a personal level, she was asked about fellow Rio Bravo actor John Wayne many times. They hit it off, as he was “so generous. This was John Wayne! This is his 300th movie! He was such a pro. And such a gentleman. He would just quietly lean on his rifle and just wait for me to get the scene right, which was very difficult.”
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Dickinson said that he was one of the best actors she ever worked with because he was so incredibly patient with her the entire time they were filming. She also shared that because he was married when they met, she “didn’t get a good whack at him,” but did think that, “I think if he hadn’t been attached, we might have gone out and had a good time of it. He was divine.”