French icon and global cinema legend, Brigitte Bardot dies at 91

Legendary French actor and singer Brigitte Bardot, an iconic figure of European cinema and popular culture, has died at the age of 91. Bardot was celebrated for her roles in film and music before making a notable transition to animal rights activism in the later years of her life. Her career began in the early 1950s.

AFP quoted a statement issued by The Brigitte Bardot Foundation confirming the death. "The Brigitte Bardot Foundation announces with immense sadness the death of its founder and president, Madame Brigitte Bardot, a world-renowned actress and singer, who chose to abandon her prestigious career to dedicate her life and energy to animal welfare and her foundation," it said.

Bardot gained global recognition with her performance in the 1956 film And God Created Woman, directed by her then-husband Roger Vadim. She would go on to carve her space as a star, mostly playing characters with hedonistic lifestyles. For 20 years, she was widely regarded as the archetypal "sex kitten", a term that came to define her image on



and off-screen. In the early 1970s, Bardot stepped away from acting and increased her involvement in political and animal welfare causes.

Once she retired from acting in 1973 after her final film role in The Edifying and Joyous Story of Colinot (original French title: L'histoire trs bonne et trs joyeuse de Colinot Trousse-Chemise), Bardot largely became a recluse, leading a private life in her residence at Saint-Tropez. She focused on animal rights activism from this point and would go on to found the animal protection organisation, Brigitte Bardot Foundation, in 1986. Although she stayed away from the limelight, she remained dedicated to her cause.

Born in Paris in 1934, Bardot was raised in a traditional Catholic household and trained as a dancer at the Conservatoire de Paris. By age 15, she appeared on a magazine cover, which led to early film opportunities. Her rising profile included roles such as the lead in Doctor at Sea, while And God Created Woman would go on to establish her as an international star.