'' '' Maj-Britt Wilkens was born in
Lidingö on 22 March 1934, the daughter of Hugo and Hillevi Wilkens. Britt was discovered as a teenager by Italian filmmakers
Carlo Ponti and
Mario Soldati in 1951. She was then an assistant to a
Stockholm photographer. The two filmmakers were in Sweden to cast a young blonde for the title role in
Jolanda, the Daughter of the Black Corsair. They came to the studio where she worked to view photographs of models. After meeting her, they offered her the part. May Britt, as she was renamed professionally, moved to
Rome. As expected, she made her film debut as the leading actress in
Jolanda, the Daughter of the Black Corsair (1952). Prior to the wedding, Britt converted to
Judaism. The couple were married by
Reform Rabbi
William M. Kramer. It has been confirmed by Sammy and Britt's daughter Tracey, Nancy Sinatra, and documentarian
Sam Pollard that this marriage resulted in Kennedy rejecting an invitation for Davis to perform at his Inauguration. Yet,
Harry Belafonte, who was married to a white woman at the time, was invited to perform. Once married, Britt retired from films. Britt and Davis had a daughter,
Tracey Davis (July 5, 1961 – November 2, 2020). Britt and Davis adopted two sons. Britt and Davis divorced in 1968 after Davis had an affair with dancer
Lola Falana.
Later life and death After the divorce, Britt resumed working and made sporadic television guest appearances, the last an episode of
Probe in 1988. She and Davis remained on good terms. In 1993 she married Lennart Rindquist, to whom she remained married until his death in 2017. Britt died at
Providence Tarzana Medical Center in
Tarzana, California, on 11 December 2025, at the age of 91. ==In popular culture==