May Britt, the Swedish-born actress whose Hollywood career and personal life placed her at the center of one of the most controversial interracial marriages in American history, has died at the age of 91.Her son, Mark Davis, confirmed that Britt passed away from natural causes on December 11 at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Born Maj-Britt Wilkens on March 22, 1934, in Lidingö, just outside Stockholm, Britt’s early life was far removed from the glamour and scrutiny that would later define her public image. She grew up in Sweden without any clear path toward international stardom, and her entry into film came almost by accident.In the early 1950s, while working as an assistant to a photographer in Stockholm, Britt was noticed by Italian filmmakers Mario Soldati and Carlo Ponti, who were searching for a new and unconventional screen presence. They cast her in Italian adventure and drama films, including Jolanda, the Daughter of the Black Corsair (1953), and she quickly became a recognizable figure in European cinema.