Brigitte Bardot: The bombshell and style icon who walked away from fame and glamour
Brigitte Bardot was the sultry film siren who helped ignite a sexual revolution, a woman whose cultural significance extended beyond her acting career.
Brigitte Bardot was the sultry film siren who helped ignite a sexual revolution, a woman whose cultural significance extended beyond her acting career.
The French star, who has died aged 91, came to embody a new kind of female sexuality on screen that was bold and unapologetic.
Image: Brigitte Bardot at a London Hotel for a photocall in 1959. Pic: PA
She was so famous that she became known simply by her initials.
Emmanuel Macron said Bardot "embodied a life of freedom".
Image: Brigitte Bardot pictured in 1959. Pic: Sam Levin/Regie Du Film/Del Duca/Kobal/Shutterstock
Image: 1963 film Le Mepris (Contempt). Pic: Everett/Shutterstock
Paying tribute, the French president said: "Her films, her voice, her dazzling glory, her initials, her sorrows, her generous passion for animals, her face that became Marianne" - referring to the national symbol of France.
"French existence, universal brilliance. She touched us. We mourn a legend of the century."
Brigitte Bardot dies: Latest reaction
Image: An 18-year-old Bardot pictured in 1952 in Cannes. Pic: Bob Hawkins/Kobal/Shutterstock
Image: Bardot in the 1960s. Pic: Everett/Shutterstock
As a singer, she also released several records during her time in the spotlight, and was famously the muse for Serge Gainsbourg's erotic single Je T'aime... Moi Non Plus.
Despite her success, she retired from acting before she had even turned 40, instead choosing to dedicate her time to helping animals.
Born in Paris in 1934, Bardot rebelled against a strict upbringing to break into film.
Image: Bardot in the 1960s. Pic: Everett/Shutterstock
