Margareta Arvidsson

Margareta Arvidsson is a Swedish actress, fashion model, and beauty queen, born on 12 October 1947. She represented Vänersborg in the 1966 Miss Sweden Pageant and went on to be crowned Miss Universe at age 18 at the 15th Annual Miss Universe Pageant, held in Miami Beach, Florida, on 16 July 1966. Her victory made her the second Swedish woman to hold the title, coming eleven years after Hillevi Rombin. At the same competition, Arvidsson also received the Miss Photogenic title.

Following her Miss Universe reign, Arvidsson pursued careers in modeling and performance. She signed with the Ford Modeling Agency and worked as a model, and she also appeared on stage and in film. Her stage work brought her to Broadway, where she appeared in Nine in 1984. In the 1970s, Arvidsson faced professional difficulties in the modeling industry related to her weight; her granddaughter and fellow model Kianna Stupakoff recounted that Ford Models executive Eileen Ford told Arvidsson she was "fat as an elephant." During that same decade, Arvidsson was diagnosed with Addison's disease.

In her personal life, Arvidsson was married to Brazilian fashion photographer Otto Stupakoff for nine years, and the two had two children together. She later settled in Fairfield, Iowa. In March 1999, she was a guest of honor at the 50th Anniversary of the Miss Sweden Pageant.

Arvidsson became engaged in American political activity ahead of the 2020 presidential election. In May 2019, as an Iowa resident, she publicly praised Democratic candidate Marianne Williamson and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders. By August 2019, she had formally endorsed Williamson and volunteered for her campaign, including driving Williamson's campaign RV through Iowa. Arvidsson subsequently endorsed Williamson again during her 2024 presidential campaign.