Brigitte Bardot

For the ship named after her, see MV Brigitte Bardot.

Brigitte Bardot
Bardot in a publicity photo for A Very Private Affair (1962)
Born
Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot

(1934-09-28) 28 September 1934 (age 90)
Paris, France
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
  • animal rights activist
Years active1952–1973 (entertainer)
1973–present (activist)
Works
Political partyNational Rally
Other political
affiliations		Union for the New Republic (1958–1967)
Spouses
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(m. 1952; div. 1957)​
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(m. 1959; div. 1962)​
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(m. 1966; div. 1969)​
Bernard d'Ormale
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(m. 1992)​
Partner(s)Jean Blaise [fr] (1975–1979)
Allain Bougrain-Dubourg [fr] (1980–1985)
Children1
RelativesMijanou Bardot (sister)
Signature

Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot (/brɪˌʒiːt bɑːrˈdoʊ/ ⓘ brizh-EET bar-DOH; French: [bʁiʒit baʁdo] ⓘ; born 28 September 1934), often referred to by her initials B.B.,[1][2] is a French former actress, singer, and model as well as an animal rights activist.

Known for being a fashion icon and a sex symbol of the mid-20th century, Brigitte Bardot, along with Alain Delon, is one of the most famous symbols of European cinema from the 1960s and 70s worldwide.[3][4] Brigitte Bardot has played in films attracting a total of nearly 98 million spectators in theaters, making her one of the actresses with the most admissions in France.[5] Although she withdrew from the entertainment industry in 1973, she remains a major pop culture icon.[6][7] She has acted in 47 films, performed in several musicals, and recorded more than 60 songs. She was awarded the Legion of Honour in 1985.

Born and raised in Paris, Bardot was an aspiring ballerina during her childhood. She started her acting career in 1952 and achieved international recognition in 1957 for her role in And God Created Woman (1956), catching the attention of many French intellectuals and earning her the nickname "sex kitten".[8] She was the subject of philosopher Simone de Beauvoir's 1959 essay The Lolita Syndrome, which described her as a "locomotive of women's history" and built upon existentialist themes to declare her the most liberated woman of France. She won a 1961 David di Donatello Best Foreign Actress Award for her work in The Truth (1960). Bardot later starred in Jean-Luc Godard's film Le Mépris (1963). For her role in Louis Malle's film Viva Maria! (1965), she was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actress. French President Charles de Gaulle called Bardot "the French export as important as Renault cars".[9]

After retiring from acting in 1973, she became an animal rights activist and created the Brigitte Bardot Foundation. She is known for her strong personality, outspokenness, and speeches on animal defense; she has been fined twice for public insults. She has also been a controversial political figure, as of November 2021 having been fined six times[10] for inciting racial hatred when she criticised immigration and Islam in France and called residents of Réunion "savages".[11] She is married to Bernard d'Ormale, a former adviser to Jean-Marie Le Pen, a far-right French politician. Bardot is a member of the Global 500 Roll of Honour of the United Nations Environment Programme and has received several awards and accolades from UNESCO and PETA. In 2011, Los Angeles Times Magazine ranked her second on the "50 Most Beautiful Women In Film".

  1. ^ "And Bardot Became BB". Institut français du Royaume-Uni. Archived from the original on 8 August 2018. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  2. ^ Probst 2012, p. 7.
  3. ^ "Binoche, Cotillard, Delon: The biggest French stars in Hollywood". TV5MONDE États-Unis. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  4. ^ "Brigitte Bardot and Alain Delon: A Relationship On And Off-Screen". TV5MONDE États-Unis. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  5. ^ "Brigitte Bardot (Actrice française) – JP Box-Office (Mobile)". www.jpbox-office.com. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  6. ^ Cherry 2016, p. 134; Vincendeau 1992, p. 73–76.
  7. ^ Wypijewski, Joann (30 March 2011). "Elizabeth Taylor: What Becomes a Legend Most". The Nation.
  8. ^ Handley, John (16 March 1986). "St. Tropez: What Hath Brigitte Bardot Wrought?". Chicago Tribune.
  9. ^ Poirier, Agnès (21 September 2009). "Happy birthday, Brigitte Bardot". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  10. ^ "Brigitte Bardot is Handed Her Sixth Fine for "Inciting Racial Hatred"". Vanity Fair. 5 November 2021.
  11. ^ "Brigitte Bardot at 80: still outrageous, outspoken and controversial". The Guardian. 20 September 2014.