At 93 years old, Angie Dickinson is living alone in her Beverly Hills home. To learn more about her life today, read on…
Angeline Dickinson, better known as Angie, was one of the most famous actresses of her generation. She earned awards for her remarkable roles and was grateful for her skill as a performer. But after all these years, at 92, it seems the glamorous days of the actress have long faded.
Angie Dickinson was an American actress who made a huge name for herself in television. She started with appearances on anthology shows in the early ’50s. Then she landed a role in The Weapon of Man, but you may also remember her from the TV series Rio Bravo, which earned her a Golden Globe award.
Aside from television, she also made a significant impact in cinema. She appeared in films such as Jessica, The Chase, The Outsider, The Art of Love, Killers, Ocean’s 11 (1964), The Beauties Are All in Line, and many others. She was highly sought after throughout the ’60s and ’70s.
However, perhaps her most iconic role was that of Sergeant Pepper Anderson in the series Police Woman. It was the first time Angie played the lead role in a TV show, and it became a hit. Her role inspired several young women to join the police force.
The actress herself admitted how “unique” it was to see a woman in uniform on TV. While today female police officers are often seen in series like CSI or Law & Order, back then, it was a groundbreaking experience.
In the PBS series Television Pioneers, she shared her experience and how positively viewers reacted to crime shows at the time. However, Angie never considered herself a “feminist.” She believed she had to compete with men. While she didn’t identify as a feminist, her role provided opportunities for many women to make their own decisions.
When asked about the gender pay gap that actresses still face today, she said it didn’t bother her. She was “satisfied” with the salary she was offered at the time.
Angie also expressed some regrets about the missed opportunities the Police Woman series presented. She mentioned that the show was “too clean” and that she would have preferred to see more real-life consequences for the villains. She admired modern crime shows like Southland and Detroit 1-8-7 for depicting more gritty situations.
At the height of the series’ popularity, Angie often received letters from fans telling her how her character inspired them to pursue a career in law enforcement.
When filming Police Woman, Angie was over 40 and worked incredibly hard to put her best foot forward. She worked twice as hard as younger actresses, and her beauty seemed to only intensify with age.
She captivated many people, which led to rumors that she was incredibly close to the “Rat Pack” group. There were speculations about a 10-year romance with Frank Sinatra after they starred together in the original Ocean’s 11. There were also rumors about her relationships with Dean Martin and former President John F. Kennedy.
Angie also reprised her iconic role in the 2001 film Ocean’s 11 with George Clooney. She is still regarded as a Hollywood legend, respected throughout the industry.
In 2020, Angie made a striking revelation in an interview. She appeared on CBS Sunday Morning, where she was asked about her role in Police Woman. She admitted that when the role was first offered to her, she wanted to “rip it apart.”
At the time, she called it “a terrible idea.” She mentioned how each season consisted of 20 to 21 episodes, which felt like an exhausting task. She told the showrunners she would give them four years, but no more!
She worked on the series for four years and later admitted she felt she was underpaid. In her words, the show “took years off her life” and “wasn’t worth it.”
When asked what prompted her to accept the role, she simply said that David Gerber told her it would make her famous. But at the time, she wanted that too—though she now understood how people’s desires constantly change.
Throughout her life, Angie was married twice. She married her first husband, Gene Dickinson, in 1952, but their marriage ended in 1960. Later, Angie met and married Burt Bacharach. They were married from 1965 to 1981. This was Bacharach’s second marriage.
The couple had a daughter, Nikki, who was their first child. Nikki was born prematurely, three months early, in 1966. Years later, Angie learned that her daughter had Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism often referred to as “high-functioning autism.”
Nikki studied geology at Lutheran University. Unfortunately, her eyesight deteriorated, preventing her from pursuing a career. Her parents took her to a specialized institution, where she lived for ten years.
Sadly, Nikki passed away by suicide in 2007 in her Thousand Oaks home at the age of 40. A public statement revealed that she took her own life to “escape the devastation” in her mind.
Angie later said of her daughter, “She was very smart, funny, and wonderful. Yes, all my memories of her are my best memories.”
When Angie and Bacharach got together, he was still unknown in the industry while she was already a star. But soon, Bacharach began writing songs for Dionne Warwick and Butch Cassidy, which helped him gain widespread fame.
While he was busy, Angie was content to take a step back to be the best mother and wife. She even turned down projects to stay close to home. For a while, she stayed out of the spotlight until the Police Woman series came along.
When she landed the role, her contract included a clause that she would be home by 6 p.m., but things didn’t go as she planned. She often brought Italian food home to make sure the family could eat on time. At the time, Bacharach told her she was always angry, but she only understood what he meant years later.
Later, she realized she blamed herself for even the smallest things that affected her marriage. She pondered whether being a Hollywood mom was worth it and wondered if her husband would have loved her more if she had been a stay-at-home wife.
Before their divorce, they lived together for five years. During that time, they dated other people, but Angie always kept photos of Bacharach in her home because he was the father of her daughter.
Nikki also had a passion for music and played drums. Their relationship was unstable and strained, especially when Nikki joined a religious cult at 14.
Nikki also wasn’t very feminine and said she would “never be as feminine” as her mother. Nonetheless, the two shared a beautiful bond, and Angie always wanted her daughter to be close to her.
While working on Pearl, Angie took Nikki to Hawaii. However, when they were in the water, they were caught in a tide and collided with a coral reef. Angie thought they wouldn’t survive. Thankfully, she managed to keep her daughter safe and afloat.
Because Nikki was born prematurely, she faced certain health issues, such as vision problems, and also struggled with autism. At times, Nikki lashed out at her mother, but Angie always understood her daughter’s frustrations.
As Nikki’s health deteriorated, Angie stepped away from her career to focus on her daughter. She said, “It wasn’t a sacrifice. Would I have worked? Yes, I would have done plays in Chicago or something like that if I didn’t have a daughter who needed me. But I needed her. I didn’t have the gift of free time.”
When her daughter took her own life, Angie sought support from her friends. Among them was the widow of Gregory Peck, Veronica, who was also acquainted with Tony Kushner. Angie found solace in one of his plays, which explored themes related to losing someone.
Burt Bacharach also passed away earlier this year, on February 8, 2023, at the age of 94. While he had other children, Nikki was Angie’s only child. The actress divorced the famous composer for several reasons, including his infidelity, which he admitted in his autobiography.
Angie often spoke about how Bacharach didn’t love her the way others are loved. She said, “He didn’t respect me.” When asked if she loved him, she simply answered, “Yes.”
Now, the actress lives a reclusive yet peaceful life in her Beverly Hills home. She is rarely seen outside, which is understandable given her age. Her last film appearance was in Elvis Has Left the Building in 2004, and in 2009, she appeared in the TV movie Mending Fences.
But even after that, she continued to appear on camera. She participated in a PBS documentary about Sammy Davis Jr., titled I Gotta Be Me. When she was 79, Angie reflected on how lucky she had been, saying, “I was in the right place at the right time for so many great things. I met some great stars and stayed friends with many, and with some, lovers. It was a fantastic life, really. And it’s still going on.”
When asked about resuming her acting career, she said she wouldn’t want to play “grandmother roles.” However, she considered doing a “one-woman show” or theater performances.
At 93, she says acting in films and working in television can be a tough task. She still thinks about her appearance: “Even at my age, I’m still prone to the ‘glamour girl syndrome.’ You know, she has great legs but she can’t act.”
In 2008, she sat next to Clint Eastwood, who joked that, at his age, makeup artists no longer have fun with him. Angie, however, said it wasn’t the same for her. She explained that she was so used to having her hair and makeup
