Jane Birkin biography, daughter, age and cause of death, personal life

Biography of Jane Birkin

Jane Mallory Birkin is a legendary actress, songwriter, and singer, known for her long romantic and creative partnership with the iconic French poet and composer Serge Gainsbourg.

With the release of their controversial joint hit "Je t'aime ... Moi Non Plus" in 1969, which featured simulated intimate sounds (sighs, moans, etc.) and was banned in several countries, she became one of the world's main sex symbols.

The star and mother of three daughters has over eighty films, 13 studio albums, and 6 live albums to her credit.

She has been awarded the French National Order of Merit, the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun, and the title of Officer of the Order of the British Empire. The French luxury house Hermès named the iconic Birkin handbag after her in 1984. The bag has since become the ultimate status symbol, with prices soaring into seven figures.

Childhood

Jane was born on December 14, 1946, in London, to English aristocrat and naval officer David Birkin and actress Judy Campbell, who served as muse to Oscar-winning playwright Noël Coward.

She spent her childhood in the prestigious Chelsea neighborhood. Her creative parents raised her and her siblings—older brother Andrew and younger sister Linda—in a free-spirited household. The family made home movies featuring amusing real-life stories and took exciting holiday trips together.

First Steps in Creativity

At 16, the aspiring actress decided to follow in her mother's footsteps and started auditioning for theater roles. A year later, she scored her first role at one of the capital's theaters (Haymarket Theater) in the play "Carving a Statue." She then appeared in the musical "Passion Flower Hotel," showing off her singing and dancing abilities alongside her dramatic chops. The premiere was a success in July 1965 at the Palace Theatre in Manchester. Subsequently, this play ran for another 148 performances at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London.

At 16, Jane decided to become an actress

Jane's film career began with the romantic comedy "The Knack ...and How to Get It." She then starred in the drama "The Idol" and the crime film "Kaleidoscope." But she really made her mark—controversially—in Michelangelo Antonioni's art-house classic "Blowup," which took home the top prize at the 1967 Cannes Film Festival. She played an aspiring model in scenes that featured full nudity.

Between 1968 and 1969, four films starring the actress hit theaters. These include the psychedelic film "Wonderwall" with a soundtrack by Beatle George Harrison, the detective movie "The Swimming Pool" where her co-stars were Alain Delon, Romy Schneider, and Maurice Ronet, the crime drama "The Roads to Kathmandu," and the film "Slogan," which would change her life when she met Serge Gainsbourg.

In 1970, Jane and Serge played key characters in the crime film "Cannabis." A year later, they appeared together in the adventure drama "Romance of a Horsethief," followed by the comedy "Too Pretty to Be Honest".

Beyond acting, the talented composer Serge Gainsbourg helped launch his muse's singing career—while she didn't have powerhouse vocals, she captivated audiences with her sensual, husky, and mysterious voice. Gainsbourg handpicked her repertoire and wrote many captivating compositions specifically for her. In the 1970s, she released three solo albums: Di doo dah, Lolita go home, and Ex fan des sixties.

In the 70s, Birkin declared herself as a singer

Still, Jane focused primarily on film work, appearing in over twenty movies during this era. In an intriguing twist, she starred alongside Serge's former flame Brigitte Bardot in 1973's "Don Juan, or If Don Juan Were a Woman," directed by the actress's ex-husband Roger Vadim, son of Kiev-born nobleman Igor Plemennikov.

Claude Zidi's 1974 comedy "The Tall Blond with One Black Shoe" was a hit with audiences, pairing Birkin with Pierre Richard. The duo reunited a year later for another Zidi comedy, "Let's Not Get Angry."

Je t'aime moi non plus

In 1976, the film "Je t'aime moi non plus" was released, marking Gainsbourg's directorial debut. The film often features music from the song of the same name, performed by Birkin and Gainsbourg.

Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin - Je t'aime... moi non plus

Jane took on the pivotal role of Johnny, a young waitress with boyish looks, earning a César nomination for her performance. One day, two upbeat guys, Krassky (Joe Dallesandro) and Padovan (Hugues Quester), walked into her café. They were garbage truck workers and lovers.

Johnny became captivated by the rugged Krassky, while he was drawn to her innocent love, inexperience, and sexual openness. When jealous Padovan tried to kill the interloper, Krassky saved her but went back to his lover, leaving her heartbroken.

Jane Birkin in the movie 'Je t'aime moi non plus'

Due to a number of explicit scenes, the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) banned its screening. However, the film later became what you might call a "banner of the upcoming era." One of the main characters says: "It doesn't matter where I have you, what matters is that I'm doing it with you."

Further Career

A year later, Birkin's fans got to see her in the romantic comedy "Animal," where she starred alongside heartthrob Jean-Paul Belmondo and 1960s sex symbol Raquel Welch. She then appeared in two Agatha Christie adaptations: "Death on the Nile" and "Evil Under the Sun."

A shot from the film 'Death on the Nile'

In 1981, the actress took on the pivotal role of Anne in Jacques Doillon's "The Prodigal Daughter," which tackled the sensitive subject of incest. Three years later, she landed another central and controversial role as Alma in the drama "The Pirate" by the same director, with whom she'd begun a romance. Her character tried to understand whom she truly loved, her husband or her friend Carole.

Birkin continued her musical collaboration with Gainsbourg even after their breakup in 1980. In 1983, she released her new solo album "Baby Alone in Babylone," which contained 11 songs written by her ex-husband. These haunting lyrics let her express confusion, pain, and sadness. She recalled how he watched the recording from behind the studio glass, tears streaming down his face. The album was acclaimed as the most beautiful in her career and later went gold.

Jane Birkin - Quoi

She continued to receive numerous film offers. In 1985, five films featuring her hit theaters, including the drama "Dust," where she delivered a brilliant performance as Magda, the farmer's daughter who killed her tyrannical father (Trevor Howard) and then descended into madness. In 1988, she shared the screen with her mother Judy Campbell, brother Andrew, and daughters Charlotte and Lou in the drama "Kung-Fu Master."

Jane Birkin in the movie 'Kung-Fu Master'

In the late 1980s, the actress expanded her career to television, playing the lead role in the TV film "Ex-Wife in My Life," directing and writing the drama "Oh Pardon! tu dormais," and performing solo concerts. The first of these concerts was a triumph at the Le Bataclan concert hall—Jane, with her magnetic stage presence, always connected with the audience.

In 1987, the star released the album "Lost Songs," written by Gainsbourg, and in 1990, "Amours des feintes." The cover of the latter featured a sad Jane, drawn by Serge himself, who was considering returning to painting at the time. A year later, the man who "elevated song to the level of art" (in the words of French President François Mitterrand) died. During the same period, his muse played in a musical at the popular Le Casino de Paris, dedicating the performance (planned before Serge's death) to her former lover.

In 1994, the actress appeared at the National Theatre, playing the tragic role of Andromache in the play "The Trojan Women" based on Euripides' works. At the end of that year, she gave a concert dedicated to Gainsbourg at London's Savoy, proving herself a true professional with incredible artistic talent and finally leaving her scandalous image behind.

But she never abandoned the genius composer's legacy. By 1996, she had recorded a medley of his songs, "Versions Jane," performing them at the legendary Olympia concert hall before embarking on a European tour. In 1999, she released a new album "A la Legere," her first without Serge's involvement, and performed at the Avignon Festival with re-orchestrated versions of his compositions in the concert "Arabesque." Following the program's incredible success, she launched a world tour, visiting Scandinavian countries, the USA, Canada, Japan, and Asia.

In the New Millennium

While continuing her film career, the star released a new album in 2004, "Rendez-Vous," which was highly praised by critics. Two years later, she released "Fictions," where she recorded nearly all the songs in her native English. In the original compositions included in her next album, "Enfants d'Hiver," she explored childhood memories and bittersweet reflections on aging.

With the onset of the 2000s, Jane continues to act and record songs

In 2016, she starred in the short film "La femme et le TGV," declaring it would be her final film role. In 2017, her most personal, touching, and nostalgic album, "Birkin / Gainsbourg: Le symphonique," was released. It featured 21 cover versions of Gainsbourg's songs, including those he wrote for other performers: Dalida, Catherine Deneuve, Brigitte Bardot, Isabelle Adjani, Vanessa Paradis, and others. The songs were performed with the support of a symphony orchestra.

Jane Birkin's Personal Life

Jane Birkin, one of the most iconic women of the 20th century, married composer John Barry at the age of 19. Jane later said she was madly in love, flattered, and thrilled that such a genius had chosen her over all the other girls.

Her parents, however, were horrified—the groom had already been married twice and had three children. The marriage lasted until 1968 and gave them a daughter, Kate. Kate became a well-known photographer and appeared in several films, but tragically took her own life in 2013.

Jane Birkin and daughter Kate from her first marriage

In 1968, on the set of "Slogan," 23-year-old Jane met 40-year-old Serge Gainsbourg, already a famous composer, poet, and singer. Soon, they became one of the most outrageous, stylish, and enigmatic couples of the time.

Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg with their children

Their notoriety was fueled by Jane's sultry vocals on the erotic single "Je t'aime ... Moi Non Plus" (officially condemned by the Pope but an international hit), their provocative photo shoots, and their public fights—complete with extravagant antics like Birkin's dramatic leap into the Seine.

She pulled a similar stunt after they had a fight at the popular bar "Castel." In a burst of rage and passion, she threw a pastry at her equally fiery lover and ran down the boulevard Saint-Germain. Without hesitation, she jumped into the river and emerged in a completely soaked dress. Serge admired such grand gestures. Reconciled and laughing, they went home.

In 1971, they had a baby girl, Charlotte, who later became an actress and singer.

By 1980, exhausted by her eccentric lover's alcoholism, provocations, and depression, Jane ended their relationship.

She then lived with cult director and screenwriter Jacques Doillon until 1992, having a daughter, Lou, in 1982. Lou also became a singer and actress, and modeled for magazines in her youth.

In 1992, Birkin separated from her husband. The media reported that "he couldn't compete with her grief over Gainsbourg's death." She later had a romance with writer Olivier Rolin.

In 2018, Jane revealed that she had leukemia but managed to overcome it.

She called a wide smile her favorite anti-aging remedy, saying it could take off at least ten years.

Last Years of Life and Death

This talented, charismatic, and enchanting icon remained active right up until her death. She did charity work with Amnesty International, helped AIDS patients and refugees, worked on her memoirs, made films, and toured with concerts.

In 2020, the premiere of the documentary musical "The Poet of Sound and Image" was supposed to take place, a project Birkin had been working on since 2015. However, the official release date was postponed indefinitely. The film was never released during Jane's lifetime. Jane Birkin passed away on July 16, 2023. In her last years, she fought leukemia and suffered a stroke in 2021.

Photos: Jane Birkin