Brigitte Bardot facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 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
Occupation	Actress singer animal rights activist
Years active	1952–1973 (entertainer) 1973–present (activist)
Works	Filmography discography
Political party	National Rally
Spouse(s)	Roger Vadim ​ ​ (m. 1952; div. 1957)​ Jacques Charrier ​ ​ (m. 1959; div. 1962)​ Gunter Sachs ​ ​ (m. 1966; div. 1969)​ Bernard d'Ormale ​ (m. 1992)​
Partner(s)	Jean Blaise [fr] (1975–1979) Allain Bougrain-Dubourg [fr] (1980–1985)
Children	1
Relatives	Mijanou Bardot (sister)
Signature

Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot (born 28 September 1934), often called B.B., is a famous French former actress, singer, and model. She is also a dedicated animal rights activist. Brigitte stopped working in entertainment in 1973, but she is still a very well-known pop culture icon. She acted in 47 films, performed in many musicals, and recorded over 60 songs. In 1985, she received the Legion of Honour, a top French award.

Brigitte was born and grew up in Paris. As a child, she dreamed of becoming a ballerina. She started her acting career in 1952. She became famous around the world in 1957 for her role in the film And God Created Woman (1956). Many French thinkers noticed her talent. A famous writer, Simone de Beauvoir, even wrote an essay about her in 1959. Brigitte won an award in 1961 for her work in The Truth (1960). She also starred in Jean-Luc Godard's film Le Mépris (1963). For her role in Viva Maria! (1965), she was nominated for a BAFTA Award. The French President, Charles de Gaulle, once said Bardot was "a French export as important as Renault cars."

After leaving acting in 1973, Brigitte Bardot became a strong animal rights activist. She created the Brigitte Bardot Foundation to help animals. She is known for her strong opinions and speeches about protecting animals. She has been fined a few times for her outspoken comments. She is married to Bernard d'Ormale, who was an adviser to a French politician. Brigitte Bardot is part of the Global 500 Roll of Honour for the United Nations Environment Programme. She has also received awards from UNESCO and PETA. In 2011, Los Angeles Times Magazine named her the second most beautiful woman in film.

Early Life and Beginnings

Brigitte Bardot was born on 28 September 1934, in Paris, France. Her parents were Louis Bardot and Anne-Marie Mucel. Her father was an engineer who owned factories in Paris. Her mother's father was an insurance company director. Brigitte grew up in a traditional Catholic family. As a child, she had weaker vision in her left eye. She has one younger sister named Mijanou Bardot.

Brigitte's childhood was comfortable. She lived in a large apartment in a fancy part of Paris. Her parents were strict and wanted her to follow many rules. Her mother was very careful about who Brigitte could be friends with. This meant Brigitte had few friends when she was young.

During World War II, when Paris was occupied, Brigitte spent more time at home. She loved dancing to music. Her mother saw this and thought Brigitte could become a ballet dancer. In 1949, Brigitte was accepted into the Conservatoire de Paris. For three years, she took ballet classes from a Russian teacher, Boris Knyazev.

In 1949, a magazine director named Hélène Gordon-Lazareff hired Brigitte as a young fashion model. On 8 March 1950, Brigitte, who was 15, appeared on the cover of Elle magazine. This led to an offer for an acting role. Her parents did not want her to be an actress, but her grandfather supported her. At the audition, Brigitte met Roger Vadim. They later fell in love. Her parents were against their relationship but finally agreed, as long as she married Vadim when she turned 18.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting Out: 1952–1955

Bardot at the 1953 Cannes Film Festival

Brigitte Bardot appeared on the cover of Elle again in 1952. This led to a movie role in the comedy Crazy for Love (1952). She played a small part as a cousin and was paid 200,000 French francs. Brigitte also had roles in films like The Long Teeth and His Father's Portrait (both 1953).

She had a small role in a Hollywood-funded film called Act of Love (1953). Brigitte gained media attention when she attended the Cannes Film Festival in April 1953.

Bardot played a main role in an Italian drama, Concert of Intrigue (1954). She also starred in the French adventure film, Caroline and the Rebels (1954). She had a good part in School for Love (1955), playing a playful student.

Her first big English-speaking role was in Doctor at Sea (1955). This film was very popular in Britain that year.

Bardot in a scene of Concert of Intrigue in 1954

She had a small role in The Grand Maneuver (1955). She then had a bigger part in The Light Across the Street (1956). She also played Helen's handmaiden in the Hollywood film Helen of Troy.

For an Italian movie in 1956, Brigitte was asked to be a blonde. Instead of wearing a wig, she dyed her hair. She liked the new color so much that she decided to keep it.

Becoming a Star: 1956–1962

Bardot during 1958 Venice Film Festival

Brigitte Bardot then starred in four movies that made her a huge star. The first was a musical, Naughty Girl (1956). Brigitte played a mischievous school girl. This film was a big hit in France. Next was a comedy, Plucking the Daisy (1956), which was also very successful. So was the comedy The Bride Is Much Too Beautiful (1956).

Finally, there was the drama And God Created Woman (1956). This was Roger Vadim's first film as a director. Brigitte starred as a young woman in a small town. The film was a huge success in France and around the world. It made Brigitte an international star. The movie caused some controversy in the United States.

Photographers like Sam Lévin and Cornel Lucas took famous pictures of Brigitte. These photos helped create her public image.

After And God Created Woman, Brigitte starred in La Parisienne (1957), a comedy. She worked with Vadim again in The Night Heaven Fell (1958). She also played a criminal in In Case of Adversity (1958). This film was very popular in France. In 1958, Brigitte Bardot became the highest-paid French actress.

The Female (1959) was popular. But Babette Goes to War (1959), a comedy set during World War II, was a massive hit. It was the fourth biggest movie in France that year. Come Dance with Me (1959) was also widely seen.

Bardot in A Very Private Affair in 1962

Her next film was the courtroom drama The Truth (1960). This movie was a huge commercial success for Brigitte in France. It was nominated for an Academy Award. Brigitte won an award for Best Foreign Actress for her role.

She made a comedy with Vadim, Please, Not Now! (1961). She also had a role in the film Famous Love Affairs (1962).

Brigitte starred with Marcello Mastroianni in A Very Private Affair (1962). This film was inspired by her own life. Another film with Vadim, Love on a Pillow (1962), was popular in France.

International Films and Music: 1962–1968

Bardot visiting Brazil, 1964

In the mid-1960s, Brigitte made films for a global audience. She starred in Jean-Luc Godard's film Le Mépris (1963). The next year, she co-starred with Anthony Perkins in the comedy Une ravissante idiote (1964).

Dear Brigitte (1965) was Brigitte's first Hollywood film. It was a comedy starring James Stewart. Brigitte's part was short, and the film was not a big hit.

More successful was the Western comedy Viva Maria! (1965). Brigitte appeared opposite Jeanne Moreau. It was a big hit worldwide.

After a small appearance in Masculin Féminin (1966), she had a less successful film, Two Weeks in September (1968). She had a small role in Spirits of the Dead (1968). Then she tried another Hollywood film, Shalako (1968), a Western with Sean Connery. This film did not do well at the box office.

Brigitte also sang in many musical shows. She recorded many popular songs in the 1960s and 1970s. She often worked with Serge Gainsbourg and Sacha Distel. Some of her famous songs include "Harley Davidson," "La Madrague," and "Tu Veux, Ou Tu Veux Pas?". She recorded "Je t'aime... moi non-plus" with Serge Gainsbourg. Brigitte asked him not to release it, and he agreed. Later, he re-recorded it with Jane Birkin, and it became a huge hit. The version with Brigitte was released in 1986.

Bardot in 1968

Last Films: 1969–1973

From 1969 to 1978, Brigitte Bardot was the official face of Marianne. Marianne is a symbol of French liberty.

Les Femmes (1969) was not successful. However, the comedy The Bear and the Doll (1970) did better. Her last few films were mostly comedies. These included Les Novices (1970) and Boulevard du Rhum (1971). The Legend of Frenchie King (1971) was more popular. This was helped by Brigitte co-starring with Claudia Cardinale.

She made one more film with Roger Vadim, Don Juan, or If Don Juan Were a Woman (1973). She played the main role. Brigitte said this film would be her last or second to last. She kept her word and only made one more movie, The Edifying and Joyous Story of Colinot (1973).

In 1973, Brigitte Bardot announced she was retiring from acting. She said it was "a way to get out elegantly."

Animal Rights Activism

Brigitte Bardot met Paul Watson in 1977. Watson founded the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Brigitte joined him to speak out against the hunting of seal pups in Canada. Brigitte posed for photos lying next to seal pups. These pictures were seen all over the world. Brigitte and Watson remained friends.

After acting in over 40 movies and recording many music albums, Brigitte used her fame to help animal rights. In 1986, she started the Brigitte Bardot Foundation. This foundation helps animals and protects their welfare. She became a vegetarian. She raised a lot of money for her foundation by selling her jewelry and personal items.

Bardot has been a strong animal rights activist. She is a major opponent of eating horse meat. In 1994, she asked French TV viewers to stop eating horse meat. She even sent a letter to the French Minister of Agriculture. She asked him to ban the sale of horse meat.

In 1999, Brigitte wrote a letter to the Chinese President. She said that China was "torturing bears and killing the world's last tigers and rhinos."

Bardot in 2002

In 2001, she gave over $140,000 to help stray dogs in Bucharest. There were an estimated 300,000 stray dogs there.

In August 2010, Brigitte wrote a letter to Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. She asked the Queen to stop the killing of dolphins in the Faroe Islands. Brigitte called it a "macabre spectacle" and a "mass slaughter." She said it was an old tradition that had no good reason in today's world.

On 22 April 2011, the French culture minister included bullfighting in the country's cultural heritage. Brigitte wrote a very strong letter against this decision. On 25 May 2011, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society renamed one of its ships the MV Brigitte Bardot. They did this to thank her for her support.

Since 2013, the Brigitte Bardot Foundation has worked with a group in India. They run a yearly veterinary care camp. Brigitte has supported animal welfare in Bodhgaya for many years.

In 2015, Brigitte spoke out against an Australian politician's plan. The plan was to remove 2 million cats to save endangered animals.

In 2024, at age 90, Brigitte asked the French President to help Paul Watson. Watson had been held in Greenland. Brigitte asked the President to give Watson political asylum. She also held a demonstration in Paris to support Watson.

Personal Life

Brigitte Bardot has been married four times. Her current marriage has lasted much longer than her first three combined. She has said she has had 17 romantic relationships in total. Brigitte often moved on to a new relationship when the current one became less exciting. She said, "I have always looked for passion."

On 20 December 1952, when she was 18, Brigitte married director Roger Vadim. They separated in 1956. She became involved with her co-star Jean-Louis Trintignant from And God Created Woman. Brigitte and Vadim divorced in 1957. They did not have children together, but they stayed in touch. Brigitte and Trintignant lived together for about two years.

After separating from Vadim, Brigitte bought a historic property in Cannes. It was a large villa with many rooms and gardens.

In 1958, she bought another property called La Madrague. In early 1958, her relationship with Trintignant ended. She then started a relationship with actor Jacques Charrier. She became pregnant before they married on 18 June 1959. Brigitte's only child, her son Nicolas-Jacques Charrier, was born on 11 January 1960. After she and Charrier divorced in 1962, Nicolas was raised by the Charrier family. He did not have much contact with his mother until he was an adult.

From 1963 to 1965, she lived with musician Bob Zagury.

Bardot with French singer Sacha Distel in 1958

Brigitte's third marriage was to German millionaire Gunter Sachs. They were married from 1966 to 1969. While filming Shalako, she did not respond to Sean Connery's interest. She said, "It didn't last long because I wasn't a James Bond girl!" In 1968, she started dating Patrick Gilles. She ended their relationship in 1971.

Over the next few years, Brigitte dated several people. These included a bartender, a nightclub owner, and singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg.

In 1975, Brigitte started a relationship with artist Miroslav Brozek. He also acted sometimes. They lived together for four years. From 1980 to 1985, Brigitte lived with French TV producer Allain Bougrain-Dubourg.

Brigitte was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1984. She chose not to have chemotherapy. She only had radiation therapy. She recovered in 1986.

Brigitte's fourth and current husband is Bernard d'Ormale. They have been married since 16 August 1992. In 2018, she denied rumors of relationships with famous musicians like Johnny Hallyday and Mick Jagger.

Legacy and Influence

Bardot's fashion in 1961

Brigitte Bardot statue in Búzios, Brazil

The Guardian newspaper called Brigitte Bardot "one of the most iconic faces, models, and actors of the 1950s and 1960s." She is known as a "style icon." She was a muse for famous fashion designers like Dior and Balmain.

In fashion, the "Bardot neckline" is named after her. This is a wide-open neck that shows both shoulders. Brigitte made this style popular. Her image was also linked to the shoemaker Repetto. They made a pair of ballet flats for her in 1956.

She also made the choucroute hairstyle popular. This was a type of beehive hair style. She also popularized gingham clothes after wearing a pink checkered dress at her wedding. An Andy Warhol painting features Brigitte.

A writer for Elle magazine said that Brigitte "has inspired thousands... of women to tease their hair or try out winged eyeliner." In the late 1960s, Brigitte's shape was used as a model for the statue's bust of Marianne. Marianne is a symbol of the French Republic.

Brigitte Bardot is also credited with making the city of St. Tropez famous. She also popularized the town of Armação dos Búzios in Brazil. She visited Búzios in 1964. Today, the town has a statue of Bardot.

Young John Lennon and Paul McCartney admired Brigitte. They even planned to make a film with The Beatles and Bardot, but it never happened. Bob Dylan dedicated his first song to Bardot. He also mentioned her in another song. An exhibition about Bardot's influence opened in France in 2009. The Australian pop group Bardot was named after her.

Many women have copied Brigitte's style and been inspired by her. These include Claudia Schiffer, Kate Moss, and Scarlett Johansson. Brigitte said, "None have my personality." Laetitia Casta played Brigitte Bardot in a 2010 French film.

In 2011, Los Angeles Times Magazine ranked her number two on their list of "50 Most Beautiful Women In Film." In 2015, a survey in the UK ranked her number six in "The Top Ten Most Beautiful Women Of All Time."

In 2020, Vogue named Brigitte Bardot the number one "most beautiful French actress of all time." A TV series about Bardot's early career is planned for 2023.

Filmography

Discography

Studio albums

Other notable singles

Books

Bardot has also written five books:

• Noonoah: Le petit phoque blanc (Grasset, 1978)
• Initiales B.B. (autobiography, Grasset & Fasquelle, 1996)
• Le Carré de Pluton (Grasset & Fasquelle, 1999)
• Un Cri Dans Le Silence (Editions Du Rocher, 2003)
• Pourquoi? (Editions Du Rocher, 2006)

Awards and Honors

Awards and nominations

• 1957: Won Best Actress for And God Created Woman at the French cinema victories.
• 1958: Nominated for Best Actress for And God Created Woman at the Bambi Awards.
• 1959: Won Best Actress for In Case of Adversity at the French cinema victories.
• 1960: Won Best Actress for The Truth at the Brussels European Awards.
• 1961: Won Best Foreign Actress for The Truth at the David di Donatello Awards.
• 1966: Won Best Actress for Viva Maria! at the French Cinema Academy's Crystal Stars.
• 1967: Won the Bambi Award of Popularity at the Bambi Awards.
• 1967: Nominated for Best Foreign Actress for Viva Maria! at the BAFTA Awards.

Honours

• 1980: Received the Medal of the City of Trieste.
• 1985: Awarded the Legion of Honour. Also received the Medal of the City of Lille.
• 1989: Received a Peace Prize for humanitarian merit.
• 1992: Inducted into the United Nations Environment Programme's Global 500 Roll of Honour. The Brigitte Bardot International Award was created in Hollywood.
• 1994: Received the Medal of the City of Paris.
• 1995: Received the Medal of the City of Saint-Tropez.
• 1996: Received the Medal of the City of La Baule.
• 1997: Received Greece's UNESCO Ecology Award. Also received the Medal of the City of Athens.
• 1999: An Asteroid was named after her: 17062 Bardot.
• 2001: Received the PETA Humanitarian Award.
• 2008: Received the Spanish Altarriba foundation Award.
• 2017: A large statue of her was put up in central Saint-Tropez.
• 2019: Received the GAIA Lifetime Achievement Award for animal rights.
• 2021: Her statue in Saint-Tropez was decorated with 1400 gold leaves.

See also

In Spanish: Brigitte Bardot para niños

• Brigitte Bardot
• List of animal rights advocates