Viva la bombshell! Elvis's leading redhead - and girlfriend - Ann-Margret, 85, flashes a smile as she's seen in wheelchair during rare outing

She was once Hollywood's ultimate redheaded bombshell - and six decades later, Ann-Margret still knows how to turn heads. 

The legendary actress, 85, was all smiles as she was spotted in a wheelchair during a rare outing in Los Angeles last weekend, exclusive Daily Mail photos. 

The Viva Las Vegas star, who set pulses racing alongside Elvis Presley in the 1964 film Viva Las Vegas, appeared in good spirits as she arrived at a hotel on Saturday, where staff were seen assisting her. 

Dressed in a chic emerald-green jacket over an all-black ensemble, the screen siren looked glamorous as ever as she was wheeled towards the entrance. 

She accessorized with oversized dark sunglasses and a silver cross necklace, while her signature auburn locks fell around her shoulders. 

At one point, the two-time Oscar nominee was photographed beaming from her wheelchair as she chatted with those accompanying her. 

Other images show the beloved actress standing with assistance beside a vehicle, her wheelchair positioned nearby. 

The star has only recently been spotted using a wheelchair, though she has also been seen standing and walking, suggesting the mobility aid may be used primarily for assistance getting to and from venues.  

However, the outing comes after the Hollywood icon was hospitalized following a frightening fall at her home in January, which left her with a broken elbow. 

'I fell the other day and so now my right elbow is broken,' the redheaded star told Parade magazine at the time. 

But she appeared unfazed by the ordeal, admitting she was no stranger to taking a tumble. 

'That's okay. I have fallen so many times,' she added. 'I don't intend to, but I do! What can I say? 

'I have always learned from my parents that you just get up. You just start all over again.'

In 1972, Ann-Margret fell 22 feet offstage during a Lake Tahoe, Nevada, concert, leaving her with a broken arm, a severe concussion and facial fractures including a crushed cheekbone.

Born Ann-Margret Olsson in Sweden in 1941, she moved to the US with her family as a young girl and grew up in Illinois. 

Her passion for singing and dancing emerged early, eventually leading her to pursue a career in show business after attending Northwestern University.

She first attracted attention as a nightclub performer, catching the eye of legendary comedian George Burns, who helped launch her entertainment career. 

By the 1960s Ann-Margret had secured a recording contract and begun making waves in Hollywood.  

The 60s' 'sex kitten' initially captivated audiences with her vibrant, uninhibited dancing and magnetic screen presence but, over the decades, she successfully transformed her image into a highly respected, award-winning dramatic actress. 

Dubbed the 'Female Elvis,' she skyrocketed to top box-office stardom with iconic roles in the musical Bye Bye Birdie and alongside Presley in Viva Las Vegas – which led to a romance between the two.

But she went on to marry her manager, Roger Smith, and they were together until his 2017 death. The couple had no children, though she was stepmother to his three offspring from a previous marriage.

Ann-Margret broke away from her 'singing sex kitten' persona by earning an Academy Award nomination for her raw performance in Mike Nichols's Carnal Knowledge in 1971. 

She secured a second Oscar nomination for the big-screen rock opera Tommy in 1975. 

And she appeared in smash-hit comedies Grumpy Old Men in 1993 and Grumpier Old Men in 1995, starring alongside Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. 

Her most recent screen role was in the Hallmark movie A Holiday Spectacular. 

Ann-Margret has five Golden Globe Awards, one Emmy Award, two Academy Award nominations and two Grammy Award nominations.