Angie Dickinson was one of the most celebrated actresses of her generation. She won awards for her amazing roles and would be praised for her skills as a performer.
But years on, at 92 years old, it seems the glamor of the actress’ heyday has long faded. To find out what her life looks like now, keep reading…
Angeline Dickinson who is more widely known as Angie is an American actress who has had a tremendous television career. She started out by appearing on anthology shows in the early ’50s. Then she finally landed a role in “Gun the Man Down,” but you may also remember her from her sow “Rio Bravo,” which earned her a Golden Globe award.
window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push();
Wikipedia Commons
Apart from television, she also did a lot of work in films. She had roles in movies like “Jessica,” “The Chase,” “The Outside Man,” “The Art of Love,” “The Killers,” “Ocean’s 11 (1964),” “Pretty Maids All in a Row,” and many more. She was a highly booked actress throughout the ’60s and ’70s.
But perhaps her most impactful role was as Seargent Pepper Anderson in “Police Woman.” This was the first time an actress was the lead in a television show and she was a smash hit. Her role also inspired several young girls to join the police force.
READ MORE
Inside the life of actress Doris Day
See 1970s icon Faye Dunaway now at 82
Sophia Loren’s granddaughter Lucia is the spitting image of the beloved actress
The actress herself acknowledged how “unique” it was to see a woman in uniform on television. While it is common to see women as cops on television today in shows such as CSI or Law and Order, at the time it was a unique experience.
In a PBS series titled “Pioneers of Television,” the actress discussed her involvement with the role and how positively audiences responded to crime shows even at the time.
Angie Dickinson at a formal event wearing a white bare midriff dress; circa 1970; New York. (Photo by Art Zelin/Getty Images)
But the actress never considered herself a “feminist.” She believed she had to compete with men. While she was not a feminist herself, her role did empower a lot of women to make certain decisions.
As for herself, the actress said, “when I was up for a role, I didn’t compete with men; it was a role for a woman.”
And when she was asked about the pay gap which actresses still struggle with, she revealed that it did not bother her. The actress said she was “content” with the salary she had been offered at the time.
Shutterstock
She also lamented at the missed opportunity she had with “Police Woman.” She said that the show did not show more. She said she felt the show was “too clean.” She did not appreciate how each episode ended perfectly and how little violence there was in them.
The actress said she wished her show had depicted worse consequences for bad guys. She appreciated current shows like “Southland” and “Detroit 1-8-7,” which do better with depicting such circumstances than her show did.
When the show was at its most popular, the actress revealed she would often get letters from fans who told her how she had inspired them to become join the police force.
The actress was in her 40s when “Police Woman” and she worked incredibly hard to deliver a stellar performance. She worked twice as hard as actresses younger than her and even with age, her beauty seemed to get even more enhanced rather than just fade.