Angie Dickinson: Where Is She Now at 93?
At 93, Angie Dickinson may not be in the spotlight like she once was, but her legacy is impossible to miss — and she's still as sharp, funny, and candid as ever.
The iconic actress made a rare public appearance to introduce the 4K restoration of Rio Bravo at the Turner Classic Film Festival. It's a fitting full-circle moment, since Rio Bravo was the film that launched her into stardom back in 1959. Directed by Howard Hawks and co-starring John Wayne, Dean Martin, and Ricky Nelson, the film is now considered a Western classic. Dickinson remembers it fondly:
"I knew it was going to be an extraordinary experience, but I didn't know how extraordinary."
That one role kicked off a career that spanned over 50 years and more than 50 films — including China Gate, Point Blank, The Killers, and Pretty Maids All in a Row. She also appeared in the original Ocean's 11 (1960) alongside Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack, recalling the experience as "a great honor," even if, as she said, "that was a man's world."
But for many viewers, Dickinson is best remembered as the lead in the groundbreaking 1970s TV series Police Woman, where she played undercover cop Pepper Anderson — a role that turned her into a household name and inspired a wave of female-led crime shows. Dickinson, however, didn't love the grind:
"It was four years of up at 5 a.m. and home at 7 p.m. — long days. It was really torture physically. I did, I think, 91 shows… I wouldn't recommend doing a series to anyone. It's slave labor."
Still, Police Woman was so popular that when President Gerald Ford realized one of his press conferences would preempt it, he reportedly moved the conference to another day.
Long before Police Woman, Dickinson had become part of the Hollywood inner circle. She dated Frank Sinatra during one of the singer's career highs:
"He was generous, wonderful, sweet, handsome, warm, and cuddly. My mother baked cookies for me to give to Frank Sinatra. He laughed and sent her flowers."
She also had close friendships with Dean Martin and others from the golden era of studio Hollywood. Her personal life later included a high-profile marriage to composer Burt Bacharach, with whom she had one daughter, Nikki, who passed away in 2007. Speaking about her, Dickinson said simply:
"I honor her memory every minute of every hour of every single day."
Though Dickinson officially retired from acting in the late 2000s, her fans haven't forgotten her. When one fan recently posted online that his father had a crush on her, another quickly replied: "Now I do too." Others still catch Police Woman reruns on retro TV channels like METV, FETV, and GET.
And at 93, how does she stay so sharp?
"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."
Asked what she's learned from nearly a century of living, Dickinson keeps it simple:
"Never miss a sunset if it's possible. Be kind when you want to swear like hell. And stop talking when you've said enough."