Brigitte Bardot

Brigitte Bardot
Name	Brigitte Bardot
Caption	Bardot in 1962
Birth name	Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot
Birth date	28 September 1934
Birth place	Paris, France
Occupation	Actress, singer, model, animal rights activist
Years active	1952–1973
Spouse	Roger Vadim (1952–1957), Jacques Charrier (1959–1962), Gunter Sachs (1966–1969), Bernard d'Ormale (1992–present)
Notable works	And God Created Woman, Contempt, Viva Maria!

Brigitte Bardot is a French former actress, singer, and model who became one of the most famous sex symbols of the 1950s and 1960s. Her portrayal of sexually emancipated characters with a carefree nature made her an international icon and a defining figure of the French New Wave. After retiring from the entertainment industry in 1973, she became a dedicated animal rights activist, founding the Brigitte Bardot Foundation. Her influence on popular culture, fashion, and cinema remains profound.

Early life and career

Born in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, she studied ballet at the Conservatoire de Paris and began a career as a fashion model, appearing on the cover of ''Elle'' magazine in 1949. Discovered by the young director Roger Vadim, she made her film debut in the 1952 comedy Le Trou Normand. Subsequent roles in films like Act of Love with Kirk Douglas and The Light Across the Street established her screen presence. Her marriage to Vadim in 1952 and her association with the emerging Saint-Tropez jet set began to cultivate her public image.

International stardom

Bardot achieved global fame with Vadim's 1956 film And God Created Woman, which showcased her as a symbol of sexual freedom and catapulted the resort town of Saint-Tropez to international prominence. She became a major box-office draw in Europe and a subject of fascination in America, often referred to by her initials "BB". She starred in successful films such as La Parisienne directed by Michel Boisrond, Babette Goes to War, and the musical A Very Private Affair. Her collaboration with director Jean-Luc Godard on the 1963 film Contempt, alongside Michel Piccoli and Jack Palance, is considered a landmark of modernist cinema.

Later career and retirement

Throughout the 1960s, Bardot continued to headline popular comedies and dramas, including Viva Maria! with Jeanne Moreau, Two Weeks in September, and Louis Malle's A Very Private Affair. She also enjoyed a parallel career as a singer, recording hits like "Harley Davidson" and "Bubble Gum" with composer Serge Gainsbourg. Increasingly disillusioned with fame, she gave a celebrated dramatic performance in Henri-Georges Clouzot's La Vérité before retiring from acting in 1973 after filming The Legend of Frenchie King.

Animal rights activism

Following her retirement, Bardot dedicated herself entirely to animal welfare. She founded the Brigitte Bardot Foundation in 1986 to advocate against animal cruelty, funding shelters and campaigning against practices like the Canadian seal hunt and bullfighting. Her activism has often placed her at the center of political and legal controversies in France, leading to convictions for inciting racial hatred due to her contentious statements on immigration and Islam, which she has linked to rituals involving animal slaughter.

Personal life

Bardot's personal life attracted intense media scrutiny. Her marriages included unions with director Roger Vadim, actor Jacques Charrier (with whom she had a son, Nicolas-Jacques Charrier), and German industrialist Gunter Sachs. Her numerous high-profile relationships with figures like musician Serge Gainsbourg and actor Jean-Louis Trintignant were widely publicized. Since 1992, she has been married to businessman Bernard d'Ormale, a former advisor to the National Front, and lives a largely private life at her estate in Saint-Tropez.

Legacy and influence

Bardot is widely regarded as a cultural archetype who revolutionized the perception of female sexuality in post-war Europe and influenced the sexual revolution. Her signature style, featuring blonde bouffant hair, winged eyeliner, and beachwear, has had a lasting impact on global fashion. Filmmakers like Agnès Varda and photographers such as Sam Lévin helped shape her iconic image. References to her persona appear in the works of artists from Andy Warhol to Mick Jagger, and she is frequently cited as a precursor to later icons like Madonna. Despite the controversies of her later years, her status as a cinematic legend and a defining symbol of an era remains secure.

Category:French film actors Category:French animal rights activists Category:1934 births