Brigitte Bardot biography, age, young photos, husband, children, son, now 2024

Biography of Brigitte Bardot

Brigitte Bardot, a pride of France and a sex symbol of the second half of the 20th century, is a famous actress and model who left her career at the peak of her fame to dedicate her life to rescuing and protecting animals. Brigitte introduced women to "beehive" hairstyles and popularized the bikini. Thanks to her, the provincial Cannes and Saint-Tropez became meccas of elite tourism, and thick black eyeliner remains a highlight of evening makeup.

Childhood and Teenage Years

The future actress was born into a wealthy and respectable Parisian bourgeois family. Her father, Louis Bardot, an engineer by education, founded a small family firm producing acetylene and compressed air, which provided a stable income. In his spare time, he was passionate about poetry and photography, publishing several collections of his own poems, one of which received a prestigious award from the French Academy of Words.

Her mother, Anne-Marie Mucel (called Tati in the family), an aspiring actress, raised Brigitte and her younger sister, Marie-Jeanne. In her free time, she crafted hats for Parisian fashionistas.

Brigitte was not the favorite child in the family – her parents had first expected a boy, an heir to continue the family business. Even before their daughter's birth, a street gypsy predicted that the Bardot name would become famous worldwide, and her father decided it would be related to the family business. But instead of a boy, a girl was born.

Marie-Jeanne Bardot, Brigitte's younger sister

It's hard to imagine, but in her childhood, Brigitte was a typical "ugly duckling" – she periodically broke out in allergic rashes, wore glasses and braces. She was also a sullen, unsociable child, a "grump" as her mother called her. Tati would snap at her eldest daughter for the slightest misdeed and made her address her formally. Brigitte always felt like an outsider in her own home, unlike her younger sister, who was adored by everyone.

As a child, Brigitte Bardot considered herself an ugly duckling

The only solace for the girl was dancing. At twelve, she enrolled in the choreography department of the National Conservatory and became a student of Boris Knyazev, who had previously performed in Sergei Diaghilev's troupe. Ballet classes transformed Brigitte – she gained grace and poise, became confident, and completely overcame her childhood insecurities.

Fashionable society members, who often gathered at the Bardot home, noticed this and predicted a successful modeling career for the girl. Swayed by their persuasion, her mother allowed her fourteen-year-old daughter to participate in a photoshoot for ELLE magazine on the condition that their surname was not mentioned. Brigitte earned 50 francs for the shoot, and the photos were labeled with the initials B.B.

Brigitte Bardot's first photoshoot for Elle

The photos of the young Bardot caused a sensation – all copies of the issue sold out like hotcakes, and a queue of photographers from fashion magazines lined up to work with her. Seeing the excitement, Tati decided to feature her daughter in the promotion of her hats and organized a fashion show with a ballet theme. During the runway show, her ballet tutu accidentally or intentionally fell off, causing a stir with the audience. What Tati considered her daughter's disgrace turned into a triumph – all of Paris started talking about the young beauty.

Filmmakers also took an interest in her, particularly Roger Vadim, who was working as an assistant to director Marc Allégret. While flipping through ELLE, he stumbled upon Brigitte's photos and couldn't take his eyes off her. He suggested to Allégret that they invite the young beauty for a screen test for the film Crazy for Love and personally approached her parents. Tati and Louis were firmly against their daughter's participation in the shoot – they considered film vulgar and acting an unfit profession for a girl from a respectable family. However, Roger managed to persuade them, and they allowed Brigitte to participate under his personal supervision.

The screen tests went well, but the film's production was unexpectedly canceled. However, Brigitte was already seriously considering an acting career, and Roger was determined to keep the girl who had captivated him in his sights. They met secretly, as her parents were strongly against their underage daughter having a relationship with an adult man.

Brigitte started skipping school, her father found out, and decided to send her to study in England. Pleas and persuasion had no effect on him, and then Bardot, waiting until the house was empty, attempted to poison herself with gas in the kitchen. Fortunately, they managed to save her, and after this incident, her parents allowed her to date Roger – on the condition that he found "a respectable, steady job."

Brigitte Bardot and Roger Vadim soon married

To distract his daughter from foolishness and bring her back to ballet, Louis asked his friend André-Pierre Tarba, who organized entertainment programs for sea cruises, to take Brigitte on a cruise as a dancer. Tarba sent the girl on a two-week cruise aboard the liner "Admiral de Grasse," where she performed with the "Paris Ballet" troupe. The audience was thrilled with the young performer, but she had already firmly decided to become an actress and no longer saw her future in dance.

Acting Career

After returning to Paris, Bardot had another successful photoshoot for ELLE. The press started talking about her, and she received more acting offers. Her father had no choice but to ask his friend Maurice Vernan to become her manager. Vernan found her a small role in Jean Boyer's comedy "Crazy for Love" (1952), marking her film debut. On set, the inexperienced actress felt awkward and unsure, dissatisfied with her performance. She even considered ending her film experiments, but Vadim persuaded her to give it another shot.

Vadim arranged for her to star in the melodrama "Manina, the Girl in the Bikini" (1952), which led to her being recognized as a new French sex symbol at seventeen. Despite her father's efforts to maintain decency and forbid her from appearing in such revealing attire, Bardot's bikini appearance made her a star. She realized her strengths, abandoned her shyness, dyed her hair blonde, and embraced her sexual image.

Manina, the Girl in the Bikini with Brigitte Bardot

Bardot lacked acting skills, feeling nervous in front of the camera and intimidated by more famous co-stars. However, with Vadim's efforts and her new agent Olga Horstig-Primuce, she continued to act, gradually gaining the necessary experience. Despite knowing little English, she memorized dialogues for English-language films. At Olga's insistence, Bardot enrolled in René Simon's acting school but dropped out, believing she would learn faster on set.

In four years, Bardot participated in 17 films and became quite popular in France. However, Roger believed his beloved Brigitte deserved more and could become a global star. He decided to make a film with her in the lead role, wrote the script, and found funding for the project.

"And God Created Woman" hit theaters in 1956, sparking a cultural revolution. Bardot played the sexually liberated Juliette, who couldn't choose between three suitors, essentially portraying herself as Vadim knew her.

Brigitte Bardot in And God Created Woman

Scenes of a nude Bardot against the picturesque rural landscapes of Saint-Tropez shocked European audiences, let alone the more puritanical American public. In Texas and several other states, the film was banned, but its box office success led to its release despite protests from moralists and clergy.

A shot from the movie And God Created Woman

The era of "Bardot-mania" began – she was recognized as one of the most sensual women on the planet, alongside Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren, and Audrey Hepburn. The film is considered to have initiated the cinematic sexual revolution of the early 1960s.

Bardot herself didn't expect such a buzz, as she never saw herself as an outstanding actress or an ideal beauty. The comparison to Marilyn Monroe flattered her – she always admired this remarkable woman and considered her the epitome of female beauty and sensuality.

In 1959, the film "Babette Goes to War" was released, after which women worldwide began to imitate her high hairstyle, dubbed "Babette," and hats resembling her character's army helmet became fashionable.

Brigitte set the trend for the Babette hairstyle

Over twenty years of acting, Bardot appeared in fifty films. Her co-stars included Jean Marais, Alain Delon, Jean Gabin, Marcello Mastroianni, Annie Girardot, and other screen legends. Bardot never considered herself a star, preferring light roles that didn't require deep acting skills. Because of this, she turned down many significant and interesting roles, such as Angélique in the film adaptations of Anne and Serge Golon's novels.

Bardot strictly followed directors' instructions and didn't try to add her own touch to roles – for her, acting was just a way to make money, not a means of personal or creative fulfillment. She preferred to live by her feelings – she couldn't imagine life without love, enjoyed captivating men, and did whatever she pleased without looking back.

Brigitte Bardot - L'appareil à sous

In the early 1960s, Bardot decided to become a singer and released several solo albums of lyrical songs in French, English, and Spanish. Many of her songs were made into music videos, which in 1967 formed the basis of the musical show "The Unmistakable Bardot."

Serge Gainsbourg et Brigitte Bardot - Comic Strip

Public Activity

Bardot considers saving and protecting animals the main mission of her life. She left the film industry at the age of 39, at the peak of her fame, for this humane cause. Back in 1962, the actress publicly condemned the cruel method of slaughtering livestock in slaughterhouses and within a few years, succeeded in ensuring that butchers were required to use special electric shock pistols.

The Untold Truth Of Brigitte Bardot

Brigitte then launched an active campaign against the barbaric killing of seals, managing to enlist many global celebrities in her cause. Bardot campaigned against bullfighting, cockfighting, dogfighting, uncontrolled hunting, and the fur trade. She called fur coats "animal cemeteries" and urged fashionistas to replace real fur with faux fur, and to prefer eco-leather and other synthetic materials.

Brigitte Bardot against the Killing of Seals

Bardot donated huge sums to mass sterilization programs for dogs and the organization of shelters for stray animals. She repeatedly spoke at the United Nations and other major international organizations, sought meetings with world leaders and royal family members, and even in her old age, actively participated in mass protests in defense of animals.

Brigitte Bardot, animal activist in 1966

She condemned French President Emmanuel Macron, whom she believes lobbies for the interests of livestock breeders and hunters, and expressed respect for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who cares for Amur tigers and "has done more for animal protection than all French presidents together."

To This Day, Brigitte Remains a Devoted Defender of Animals

In her animal protection activities, Bardot often had to participate in legal proceedings. She was accused of inciting ethnic hatred when she criticized religious ritual animal killings during Muslim holidays. But Brigitte stood firm and still speaks out against the mass immigration of refugees from the East to France. She believes that accommodating the Islamic population and imposing their traditions will ruin France and deprive it of its national identity.

Brigitte holds conservative views and has twice supported Marine Le Pen (leader of the Front National party) in presidential elections. She has been fined several times (most recently in 2022 for 40,000 euros) for inciting racial hatred, making offensive comments about Muslims and migrants.

Feminists do not like her because in 2018, Brigitte criticized the #MeToo movement, claiming that young actresses are to blame for what happened because "they tease producers to get a role."

Personal Life of Brigitte Bardot

Brigitte Bardot married Roger Vadim in 1952, just after she turned eighteen. Vadim changed his religion from Orthodox to Catholic for the woman he loved.

Roger Vadim – Brigitte Bardot's first husband

The newlyweds lived in a small apartment gifted by Bardot's parents, initially facing serious financial difficulties. To earn money, Brigitte starred in low-budget films, while Roger worked as a journalist for Paris Match and wrote scripts for future films in his spare time.

After the wedding, they lived modestly but happily

Using his connections in the film industry, he took on the role of his wife's press agent, wanting the world to know and adore Brigitte. Like Pygmalion, he sculpted her into the ideal woman, advising her to dye her hair blonde, pout her lips seductively, heavily line her eyes, and embrace her nudity.

In 1956, he finally realized his dream and cast Bardot in his own film. Vadim believed that no other director could reveal her as he could, and he was absolutely right. The only thing Roger didn't account for was that his passionate wife fell madly in love with her co-star, Jean-Louis Trintignant, an unknown actor from a provincial theater.

They played a couple in love so realistically that Vadim began to doubt his wife's fidelity. Brigitte, unaccustomed to lying, honestly told her husband about their affair. Knowing Brigitte's headstrong nature, Roger didn't force her to stay and granted her a divorce.

Brigitte Bardot and Jean-Louis Trintignant

Brigitte lived with Trintignant for just two years before falling in love again, this time with her co-star in Babette Goes to War, Jacques Charrier. After filming, the couple went on vacation to Chamonix, where Brigitte became pregnant. By the time the actress discovered her condition, it was too late for an abortion.

Charrier was thrilled about the pregnancy, but Bardot didn't want to become a mother and spent the last months in severe depression, refusing to leave the house. She compared the unborn child to a tumor feeding on her body, and when the baby was born, she refused to breastfeed him.

The actress suffered from pregnancy and did not want a child

Charrier was shocked by his wife's behavior and was so distressed that he attempted suicide, but was saved. After a course of rehabilitation in a psychiatric clinic, Jacques tried to make Bardot a model wife and mother, but it was impossible. She continued her acting career, and their family fights often ended in scandals and even physical confrontations. Once, Brigitte overdosed on pills.

They managed to save her, but she resumed her old ways and started an affair with Sami Frey, her co-star in The Truth. Jacques caught the couple in a car and started a fight. Paparazzi captured the scene, and the photos spread worldwide. Humiliated, Jacques filed for divorce, gained custody of their son, and took Nicolas with him. Since then, the boy saw his mother only on special occasions, and even less as he grew older.

Nicolas studied economics at the University of Paris, was interested in music, wrote songs, and did arrangements. In his final year, Pierre Cardin noticed him and invited him to work as a model in his fashion house. At one of the shows, Nicolas met Norwegian model Anne-Lyn Bierkan, whom he married in 1984. He didn't invite his mother to the wedding, which was a huge blow to her. The newlyweds moved to Norway, where their daughters Anna-Kristina and Thea-Josephine were born.

Left: Brigitte Bardot with her son, right: Nicolas Charrier with his wife now

Later, Brigitte tried to mend her relationship with her son and visited him in Oslo, but Nicolas greeted her coldly. After the release of Bardot's memoirs, he even sued her, accusing her of publicly revealing family secrets and insulting family feelings. The actress paid a fine of 250 francs and abandoned the idea of reconciliation with her son.

Anna Charrier, Brigitte Bardot's granddaughter

Brigitte's third husband was the extravagant German multimillionaire Gunter Sachs. He met the actress on a dare and soon found himself at the altar with her. Their marriage didn't last long due to their vastly different personalities.

In 1992, Brigitte decided to marry again, this time to Bernard d'Ormale, a former adviser to the National Front of France and an associate of Marine Le Pen. Together, they openly expressed their disdain for Muslim immigrants, homosexuals, and the modern French political scene, leading to multiple accusations of racial, national, and sexual intolerance.

Brigitte celebrated her 85th birthday in a large mansion in Saint-Tropez, surrounded by numerous four-legged companions. The actress rarely interacts with the outside world and doesn't appear in public, preferring to spend her time reading books and writing memoirs.

Brigitte Bardot in Saint-Tropez (2018)

Brigitte Bardot Now

Since the late 1950s, Bardot has lived in a villa in Saint-Tropez, which she helped transform from a quiet fishing village into an elite resort. The actress leads a secluded life, dedicating all her time to animals, of which she has about two hundred at her villa. Brigitte saw the enforced self-isolation and subsequent quarantine due to the coronavirus pandemic as a blessing. She enjoys the peace and the absence of crowds of tourists that annually fill the beaches of Saint-Tropez and its scenic surroundings.

Bardot does not receive guests and does not see her son, although she has made numerous attempts at reconciliation and has often expressed regret for her maternal coldness and neglect in her memoirs. Her furry companions fully replace her communication with the outside world, and in their company, the actress feels truly needed and happy.