Brigitte Bardot, icon of French film and symbol of the era, passes away at the age of 91
Brigitte Bardot, the legendary French actress and one of the most recognizable figures in world cinema, has died at the age of 91. The Brigitte Bardot Foundation announced the news on December 28, 2025. Born on September 28, 1934 in Paris, Bardot became a symbol of beauty, sex and modernity in post-war France. Since the 1950s, she represented an undisputed cultural force, inspiring new directors of French cinema and making France famous around the world.
Bardot made her debut at the Cannes Film Festival in 1953 and rose to international fame with And God Created Woman (1956), in which she played a desirable woman who used her charm and beauty to defy conservative norms. This role established her as an icon of sensuality and a phenomenon of the era, making her famous to American and European audiences. Throughout her career, Bardot worked with notable directors, including Louis Malle in Vie Privée (1961), in which she portrayed a version of herself as a media-obsessed star, and Jean-Luc Godard in Contempt (1963), in which her nude role epitomized commercialism and voyeurism in modern cinema.
Her most notable dramatic films include La Vérité (1960), a courtroom drama in which her character confronts societal norms, and En Cas de Malheur (1958), in which the actress skillfully combined sensuality with deep emotion. In addition to romantic comedies and dramas, Bardot starred in about 50 films during a 21-year career and recorded about 80 songs. She was also nominated for a British Film Academy Award for Viva Maria! and achieved great success in the romantic comedy genre.
CULTURAL ICONS AND TABLOIDS
Brigitte Bardot was a media force who inspired endless speculation, voyeurism, and tabloids. Her beauty and personality attracted love, admiration, and controversy. French magazines called her by her initials “BB,” and she became a symbol of the era, compared by some to the “Beatles” of France for her cultural influence. Bardot was often under pressure from the paparazzi and the media, and her relationships with her ex-husbands and lovers became part of French media history. However, she maintained a strong personality and an undeniable charisma that marked an entire era in European cinema.
ACTIVISM AND LIFE AFTER CINEMA
Since the early 1970s, Bardot has retired from the screen and devoted herself to animal welfare. She founded the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, where she has taken in hundreds of animals, including lambs, goats, cats, chickens, and other animals, turning her home in Bazoches into a sanctuary for animals. Her activism has often attracted controversy, particularly for her stances against the importation of fois gras (goose liver, a French delicacy) and France’s food policies, but she remained a staunch advocate for animal welfare to the end of her life. In addition to her commitment to animals, Bardot remained a controversial figure for her political positions and patriotic stances, supporting historical figures such as Charles de Gaulle and displaying an ardent love of French culture and identity.
INHERITANCE
Brigitte Bardot was not just a movie star; she was a symbol of the era, a figure who shaped perceptions of the modern woman, sensuality, and the role of the media in public life. Her charisma, beauty, and artistic talent made her an unforgettable figure in French cinema and culture. Bardot remains one of the most prominent figures of the 20th century, a global film icon and a passionate animal rights activist who left an indelible mark on French and world cultural history.