Brigitte Bardot: Hollywood's French Icon

This stunning closeup features French bombshell actress Brigitte Bardot in a wide-brimmed hat.

Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot, often referred to by her initials B.B., is a French former actress and singer, and animal rights activist. Famous for portraying sexually emancipated personae with hedonistic lifestyles, she was one of the best-known sex symbols of the 1950s and 1960s. Although she withdrew from the entertainment industry in 1973, she became an animal rights activist and remains a major popular culture icon. Born and raised in Paris, Bardot was an aspiring ballerina in her early life. She started her acting career in 1952. She achieved international recognition in 1957 for her role in the controversial And God Created Woman, and also caught the attention of French intellectuals.

Photo by Giancarlo Botti