Brigitte Bardot | |
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 Bardot in a publicity photo for A Very Private Affair (1962) | |
| Born | Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot 28 September 1934 Paris, France |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1952–1973 (entertainer) 1973–present (activist) |
| Works | |
| Political party | National Rally |
| Other political affiliations | Union for the New Republic (1958–1967) |
| Spouses | Bernard d'Ormale (m. 1992) |
| Partner(s) | Jean Blaise (1975–1979) Allain Bougrain-Dubourg (1980–1985) |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Mijanou Bardot (sister) |
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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. Famous for portraying characters with hedonistic lifestyles, she is one of the best known symbols of the sexual revolution. Although she withdrew from the entertainment industry in 1973, she remains a major pop culture icon.[3][4] 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".[5] 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".[6]
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[7] for inciting racial hatred when she criticised immigration and Islam in France and called residents of Réunion "savages".[8] 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".
- ^ "And Bardot Became BB". Institut français du Royaume-Uni. Archived from the original on 8 August 2018. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
- ^ Probst 2012, p. 7.
- ^ Cherry 2016, p. 134; Vincendeau 1992, p. 73–76.
- ^ Wypijewski, Joann (30 March 2011). "Elizabeth Taylor: What Becomes a Legend Most". The Nation.
- ^ Handley, John (16 March 1986). "St. Tropez: What Hath Brigitte Bardot Wrought?". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ Poirier, Agnès (21 September 2009). "Happy birthday, Brigitte Bardot". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
- ^ "Brigitte Bardot is Handed Her Sixth Fine for "Inciting Racial Hatred"". Vanity Fair. 5 November 2021.
- ^ "Brigitte Bardot at 80: still outrageous, outspoken and controversial". The Guardian. 20 September 2014.