Jane Birkin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jane Birkin OBE
Jane Birkin in 2016
Born	Jane Mallory Birkin (1946-12-14)14 December 1946 Marylebone, London, England
Died	16 July 2023(2023-07-16) (aged 76) Paris, France
Occupation	Singer actress
Years active	1965–2023
Spouse(s)	John Barry ​ ​ (m. 1965; div. 1968)​
Partner(s)	Serge Gainsbourg (c. 1968; sep. 1980) Jacques Doillon (c. 1980; sep. 1991)
Children	Kate Barry Charlotte Gainsbourg Lou Doillon
Parents	David Birkin (father) Judy Campbell (mother)
Relatives	Andrew Birkin (brother) David Birkin (nephew) Anno Birkin (nephew)

Jane Mallory Birkin, who was awarded the OBE, was an English singer and actress. She was born on 14 December 1946 and passed away on 16 July 2023. She became famous around the world for her musical and personal partnership with French artist Serge Gainsbourg, which lasted for ten years. Jane Birkin also had a very busy career as an actress, mostly in French movies.

Birkin, who was born in London, started her acting career with small parts in films like Blowup (1966) and Kaleidoscope (1966). In 1968, she met Serge Gainsbourg when they starred together in the movie Slogan. This meeting began their long-lasting working and personal relationship. They released their first album together, Jane Birkin/Serge Gainsbourg (1969). Jane also appeared in the film Je t'aime moi non plus (1976), which Gainsbourg directed. She gained more acting fame in the Agatha Christie mystery films Death on the Nile (1978) and Evil Under the Sun (1982).

After she and Gainsbourg separated in 1980, Birkin continued to work as both an actress and a singer. She appeared in many independent films and released several solo albums. In 1991, she was in the TV miniseries Red Fox, and in 1998, she appeared in the American drama film A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries. In 2016, she starred in the short film La femme et le TGV, which was nominated for an Academy Award. She said this would be her last film role.

Jane Birkin lived mostly in France starting in the 1970s. She was the mother of three daughters: photographer Kate Barry, with her first husband John Barry; actress and singer Charlotte Gainsbourg, with Serge Gainsbourg; and musician Lou Doillon, with Jacques Doillon. Besides her acting and music, a famous luxury handbag, the Hermès Birkin handbag, was named after her.

Early Life and Family

Jane Mallory Birkin was born in Marylebone, London, on 14 December 1946. Her mother, Judy Campbell, was a well-known English stage actress. Her father, David Birkin, was a Royal Navy officer and a World War II spy. Her brother is the screenwriter and director Andrew Birkin. Jane grew up in Chelsea. She described herself as a "shy English girl" and said she was teased for her "boyish" looks.

She went to Miss Ironside's School in Kensington and later to Upper Chine School on the Isle of Wight. When she was 17, she met composer John Barry. They married in 1965, and their first daughter, Kate, was born in 1967. After John Barry moved to the United States, Jane and John divorced in 1968. Jane then moved back to London to live with her family. She started trying out for film and TV roles in England and Los Angeles.

Her Career in Entertainment

First Acting Roles

Birkin became known during the exciting Swinging London era of the 1960s. She had a small, uncredited part in The Knack ...and How to Get It (1965). She also played a blonde model in Michelangelo Antonioni’s film Blowup (1966). She later said she didn't even know who Antonioni was on the day of her audition. She had a bigger role in the 1960s counterculture film Kaleidoscope (1966) and appeared as a fantasy model in Wonderwall (1968).

In 1968, she tried out for the main female role in the French film Slogan (1969). Even though she didn't speak French, she got the part. She starred alongside Serge Gainsbourg and sang with him on the film's theme song, "La Chanson de Slogan." This was the first of many times they would work together. After filming Slogan, Birkin moved to France for good. She also had a role in the French thriller La Piscine (1969). She said this movie helped her stay in France after Slogan finished. Her strong English accent in French eventually became something French audiences found charming. She later said, "Without my accent, I would have had a different career."

Working with Serge Gainsbourg

Birkin in 1970

In 1969, Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg released their famous duet "Je t'aime... moi non plus" ("I love you... me neither"). Gainsbourg had originally written the song for Brigitte Bardot. Birkin later said that "jealousy" made her want to sing the song.

"Je t'aime" made history in the UK music charts. On 4 October 1969, and the week after, the same song by the same artists appeared at two different chart positions. This happened because it was first released on the Fontana label, but due to controversy, Fontana pulled the record. It was then released on the Major Minor label. Since Fontana singles were still in stores, the Major Minor release was at number three, and the Fontana single was at number 16. At that time, it was also the best-selling single ever for a song sung entirely in a foreign language.

Birkin also appeared on Gainsbourg's 1971 album Histoire de Melody Nelson. She played the main character in the songs and on the album cover. Thinking about her role as Gainsbourg's inspiration and partner, Birkin once said: "It is very flattering to have the most beautiful songs, probably, in the French language written for one. But how much talent did I really have? Perhaps not that much."

She took a break from acting in 1971–1972. She returned to play Brigitte Bardot's friend in Don Juan, or If Don Juan Were a Woman (1973). That same year, she had a supporting role in the horror film Dark Places with Christopher Lee. In 1975, she appeared in Gainsbourg's first film, Je t'aime moi non plus. For her performance in this movie, she was nominated for a Best Actress César Award, which is a major film award in France.

Later Work in Film and Music

Birkin at a film festival in 1985

In 1978, Birkin was a model in advertisements for Lee Cooper jeans. She then appeared in the Agatha Christie films Death on the Nile (1978) and Evil Under the Sun (1982). She also recorded several music albums, including Baby Alone in Babylone, Amours des Feintes, Lolita Go Home, and Rendez-vous. In 1992, she won Female Artist of the Year at the Victoires de la Musique, a French music award.

She starred in two films directed by Jacques Doillon: La fille prodigue (1981) and La pirate (1984), for which she was nominated for another César Award. This led to an invitation to perform on stage in a play by Marivaux. She also worked with director Herbert Vesely on Egon Schiele Exzess und Bestrafung in 1980, playing the girlfriend of Austrian artist Egon Schiele. Jacques Rivette worked with her in Love on the Ground (1983) and La Belle Noiseuse (1991), for which she was nominated for a César for best supporting actress. In 1985, she co-starred with John Gielgud in Leave All Fair.

Birkin at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival

She appeared in Merchant Ivory's A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries (1998) and in Merci Docteur Rey (2002). The final song for the film Le Divorce (2003) featured her singing "L'Anamour," a song written by Gainsbourg. In 2006, she played the main role in the opera Elektra in France.

Birkin sang the song "Beauty" on French producer Hector Zazou's album Strong Currents (2003). Her image is on the cover of the album Have You Fed the Fish? (2002) by singer-songwriter Badly Drawn Boy, and her daughter, Charlotte Gainsbourg, sang backing vocals on it. In 2006, she released the album Fictions. In 2010, she recorded a duet with Brazilian singer Sérgio Dias for an album that also featured Iggy Pop.

Birkin performing in 2017

In 2016, Birkin was part of a campaign for Yves Saint Laurent. The same year, she had the main role in La femme et le TGV, a short film that was nominated for an Best Live Action Short Film. In a 2017 interview, Birkin said that La femme et le TGV would be her last acting role and that she didn't plan to act again.

On 24 March 2017, Birkin released Birkin/Gainsbourg: Le Symphonique. This album was a collection of songs Gainsbourg had written for her, rearranged with a full orchestra. In September 2017, she performed live in Brussels to support the album.

Personal Life and Legacy

In 1965, Jane Birkin married British composer and conductor John Barry. They met when Barry cast her in his musical. Their daughter, the photographer Kate Barry, was born on 8 April 1967. Sadly, Kate passed away on 11 December 2013. Jane and John's marriage ended in 1968.

Birkin with her second daughter Charlotte Gainsbourg in 2010

Birkin had a close personal and creative relationship with French musician Serge Gainsbourg. They met on the set of Slogan in 1968. They were together for 12 years and had a daughter, actress and singer Charlotte Gainsbourg, born in 1971. They separated in 1980. Birkin described Gainsbourg as "a very difficult man to live with."

On 4 September 1982, she gave birth to her third daughter, Lou Doillon, from her relationship with director Jacques Doillon. She said that meeting Jacques was a big change in her career and personal life. They lived together for thirteen years and had Lou. They separated in the 1990s. Later, Birkin had a relationship with French writer Olivier Rolin.

Birkin often spent time with her grandchildren. She lived mainly in Paris from the late 1960s. She described Paris in the 1970s as "a time of great innocence." On 6 September 2021, it was reported that Birkin was recovering well after having a stroke. Jane Birkin was found passed away at her home in Paris on 16 July 2023, at the age of 76.

Helping Others

Jane Birkin was very interested in helping people. She worked with Amnesty International to support immigrants and to help with the AIDS epidemic. She visited countries like Bosnia, Rwanda, Israel, and Palestine to help with humanitarian efforts.

Awards and Special Recognition

In 2001, Jane Birkin was given the OBE award. She also received the French Ordre National du Mérite. She won the "Best Actress" award at the 1985 Orleans Film Festival for her role in Leave All Fair. The judges at the 1985 Venice Film Festival thought Birkin's acting in Dust was among the best that year. They decided not to give a best actress prize because all the actresses they thought were best were in films that won major awards. Dust won the Silver Lion prize. In 2018, she received the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun.

Music Albums

Film and Television Roles

Movies

Television Shows

See Also

• Birkin bag
• Serge Gainsbourg discography