Swedish May Britt (pronounced "my"), born Maybritt Wilkens made a small dent in Hollywood mainly through her interracial marriage to Sammy Davis Jr. in 1960 when miscegenation laws against such unions were in place in 31 out of 50 states. She was discovered by Italian filmmakers Carlo Ponti and Mario Soldati. She moved to Rome and worked in ten Cinecitta (the center of Italian cinema) productions. Her most memorable film is War and Peace starring Audrey Hepburn and Henry Fonda.
In the late 50s, she was signed by 20th century Fox starring in a few forgettable films including The Young Lions with Marlon Brando and the Marlene Dietrich remake, The Blue Angel.
After she married Sammy Davis Jr., she quit films to raise her family. Possibly race played a role in this decision. May's and Sammy's marriage may have influenced Inger Stevens and Ike Jones to keep their marriage a secret. After her divorce from Davis, she made occasional TV appearances.
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