Brigitte Bardot has passed away at the age of 91 in Saint-Tropez. This was announced by the Foundation that bears her name: “The Brigitte Bardot Foundation announces with immense sadness the passing of its founder and president, Mrs. Brigitte Bardot, a world-renowned actress and singer, who chose to give up her prestigious career to devote her life and energies to animal welfare and her Foundation. The Foundation wishes to honor the memory of an exceptional woman who gave everything for a more animal-friendly world. Her legacy lives on through the actions and campaigns that the Foundation carries on with the same passion and unwavering commitment to her ideals.”
Universally known by the initials “B.B.,” she was a central figure on the film scene between the 1950s and 1970s. Born in Paris on September 28, 1934, her life went through several phases: from dancer and model to international film star to fervent animal rights activist.
Brigitte’s first real passion was in fact not film but ballet. In 1947 she entered the prestigious Paris Conservatory. It was in this environment that she received the nickname “Bichette” for her grace.
Her modeling career began almost by accident at age 13. Her parents allowed her to pose on the condition that her name not appear. Thus it was that the initials B.B. began to be used. She quickly became the mascot of Elle magazine, appearing on historic covers as early as the early 1950s.
Her film debut came in 1952 with Le Trou normand; however, the real breakthrough came in 1956 with the film Et Dieu... créa la femme, directed by Roger Vadim. Set in Saint-Tropez, the film transformed Bardot into a living legend and international sex-symbol, embodying a free and nonconformist femininity. It was so successful that the term “bardolâtrie” was coined in the United States to describe the overwhelming enthusiasm of the fans.
Bardot demonstrated great dramatic talent in 1960 with Henri-Georges Clouzot’s La Vérité, which drew nearly six million viewers and won her a David di Donatello for best foreign actress.
In 1973, after a 21-year career, 45 films and more than 70 songs, Bardot announced her final retirement from the stage to devote herself as an animal welfare activist. In 1986, she founded the Brigitte-Bardot Foundation, which still fights for the protection of animals in France and around the world.
Brigitte Bardot remains an icon of beauty and style and one of the most beautiful women of all time.
“We mourn a legend of the century,” wrote the French president, Emmanuel Macron, on his X account. “Her films, her voice, her glory, her initials, her sorrows, her generous passion for animals, her face that became Marianne: Brigitte Bardot embodied a life of freedom. A French existence, with universal splendor. She touched us deeply.”
Photo: Brigitte Bardot Foundation / Mirko Brozek
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| Farewell to Brigitte Bardot: the iconic French film actress and activist passed away at age 91 |
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