French film icon with a complex legacy: Brigitte Bardot dies at 91

PARIS: Renowned French actress, singer and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot (91) has passed. She died at her home in Toulon, France. She had been ill for a long time.

Brigitte Bardot made her film debut in 1952 with the French comedy Le Trou normand, known in English as Crazy for Love. She gained international superstardom later with 1956's 'And God Created Woman'. She was just 17 when she began her acting career after starting as a model and appearing on the cover of Elle magazine at the age of 15. Bardot's films like The Truth (1960), Jean-Luc Godard's Contempt (1963), and Louis Malle's Viva Maria! (1965) cemented her status as a global icon, showcasing her acting range and naturalistic charm. She acted in only 47 films.

After retiring from film in 1973, Brigitte Bardot became active in animal rights work. She founded an animal rights group called the Brigitte Bardot Foundation. Brigitte, who openly expressed her far-right views, also caused controversy with her statements on issues such as immigration in France and Islam. Between 1997 and 2008, Brigitte was fined five times by French courts for controversial anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim comments.

Brigitte Bardot was married four times: to director Roger Vadim (1952-1957), actor Jacques Charrier (1959-1962, with whom she had a son), German industrialist Gunter Sachs (1966-1969), and businessman Bernard d'Ormale (since 1992).