Legendary French Actress Brigitte Bardot Passes Away at 91

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Brigitte Bardot, the French 1960s sex symbol who became one of the greatest screen sirens of the 20th century and later a militant animal rights activist and far-right supporter, has died. She was 91.

Bardot died on Sunday at her home in southern France, according to Bruno Jacquelin, of the Brigitte Bardot Foundation for the protection of animals.

Speaking to The Associated Press, he gave no cause of death and said that no arrangements had been made for funeral or memorial services. She had been hospitalised last month.

Bardot became an international celebrity as a sexualised teen bride in the 1956 movie And God Created Woman. Directed by then husband Roger Vadim, it triggered a scandal with scenes of the long-legged beauty dancing on tables naked.

Brigitte Bardot, a name synonymous with the vivacious spirit of post-war France, captivated audiences with her charisma and beauty throughout a cinema career that encompassed more than 25 films and saw her navigating the complexities of fame alongside three marriages. With her iconic tousled blonde locks, sensual figure, and a defiant pout, Bardot emerged as a cultural phenomenon, embodying a nation eager to shed its old bourgeois constraints. Despite her public allure, she privately wrestled with bouts of depression, adding depth to her legacy as one of France’s most celebrated stars.

An older white woman with light brown and blonde hair and wearing sunglasses

Her influence was so profound that in 1969, Bardot’s visage was selected to represent Marianne, the emblematic symbol of the French Republic. Her likeness became immortalized in statues, postage stamps, and coins, cementing her status as a national icon and a symbol of French identity during a period of transformative social change.

In a candid moment during her 73rd birthday in 2007, Bardot revealed to The Associated Press a glimpse of her staunch advocacy for animal rights, stating, “Man is an insatiable predator,” a poignant reflection of her enduring passion beyond the silver screen. “I don’t care about my past glory. That means nothing in the face of an animal that suffers, since it has no power, no words to defend itself.” Her words underscore a shift from her cinematic legacy to a life dedicated to speaking for those who cannot.

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Iconic images, such as Bardot’s arrival for the premiere of the film “Bullitt” in Paris in March 1969, capture the essence of her allure and the epoch she represented. Her life and work continue to resonate, not only in French culture but worldwide, as a testament to the enduring power of beauty, rebellion, and compassion.

“I don’t care about my past glory. That means nothing in the face of an animal that suffers, since it has no power, no words to defend itself.”

Her activism earned her the respect of her compatriots, and in 1985, she was awarded the Legion of Honour, the nation’s highest honour.

Later, however, she fell from public grace as her animal protection diatribes took on a decidedly extremist tone. She frequently decried the influx of immigrants into France, especially Muslims.

She was convicted and fined five times in French courts of inciting racial hatred.

In 2018, at the height of the #MeToo movement, Bardot said in an interview that most actors protesting sexual harassment in the film industry were “hypocritical,” because many played “the teases” with producers to land parts.

She said she had never had been a victim of sexual harassment and found it “charming to be told that I was beautiful or that I had a nice little ass.”

Among Bardot’s films were A Parisian (1957); In Case of Misfortune, in which she starred in 1958 with screen legend Jean Gabin; The Truth (1960); Private Life (1962); A Ravishing Idiot (1964); Shalako (1968); Women (1969); The Bear And The Doll (1970); Rum Boulevard (1971); and Don Juan (1973).

But, while a popular star, her girlish pout, tiny waist and generous bust were often more appreciated than her talent.

“It’s an embarrassment to have acted so badly,” Bardot said of her early films.

With the exception of 1963’s critically acclaimed Contempt, Bardot’s films were rarely complicated by plots. Often, they were vehicles to display Bardot in scanty dresses or frolicking nude in the sun.

“It was never a great passion of mine,” she said of filmmaking.

“And it can be deadly sometimes. Marilyn (Monroe) perished because of it.”

Bardot retired to her Riviera villa in St Tropez at the age of 39 in 1973 after The Woman Grabber. As fans brought flowers to her home Sunday, the local St Tropez administration called for “respect for the privacy of her family and the serenity of the places where she lived”.

— Reporting by Associated Press via Australian Associated Press