The beautiful Brigitte Bardot’s life in pictures
Her life story in pictures
Brigitte Ann-Marie Bardot is considered by some to be among one of the most beautiful women to have ever lived. The beauty was born and raised in Paris, but became world-famous by acting in several popular European films. At the height of her career, Bardot was the French woman that no man could resist.
We’ve collected some of the most beautiful photo’s of Brigitte Bardot through the years, and will also show you what she looks like today. Some of these pictures might be familiar, but some are rare photos that are not as famous. The actress, model, movie star, fashion icon, author and animal rights activist shines in all of them.
Let’s start with this collection on the next page!
Brigitte’s first love
Unknown to most, Brigitte’s first love was ballet. She wanted to become a ballerina early in her life and attended ballet school, beginning in 1947. She went there for 3 years, but soon transitioned into a career as a model. In 1949 she modeled in a fashion show and starred in the fashion magazine Jardin des Modes.
Bardot was then noticed by a young film director at the age of 15. The director showed her fashion pictures to another director and screenwriter, leading to them asking her to audition for a role in an upcoming film. Brigitte got the role, but the film was unfortunately cancelled. However, she had now had a taste of acting and absolutely loved it. She started her acting career in 1952 and became world-famous in 1957, after starring in And God Created Woman.
Enjoying life
Brigitte hasn’t had an easy life. Several of her marriages failed, she battled depression and survived breast cancer. All of this goes to show that she is more than just a pretty face: she also possesses incredible inner strength. Her life has been extraordinary and she is currently enjoying it to the fullest.
Bardot’s lesser known years
Before we dive into the incredible career of Brigitte Bardot, we’ll have to take a look at how she grew up. Not a lot of people know about her younger years. Today, we’ll tell you what her childhood, teenage years and young adulthood looked like. We’ll end off with her later years, telling you what she is up to nowadays.
Raised in a well-off family
Brigitte Bardot was born in Paris, on September 28, 1934, to Louis Bardot and Anne-Marie Bardot. Brigitte grew up in an upper-middle-class, Roman Catholic household. Her younger sister, Marie-Jeanne, also grew up to be an actress and writer. Her father and grandfather ran a family-owned engineering business.
Ballet
Brigitte attended Cours Hattemer, a private school when she was seven. She studied there for three days a week, studying from home the rest of the week. On the side, she took dance lessons at Madame Bourget’s dance studio three days a week. She was a hardworking, dedicated student and dancer, even at a young age. This mentality would continue on into her older years.
Difference between sisters
Brigitte’s little sister, Marie-Jeanne was enrolled in the same school as Brigitte. While she possessed the same Bardot beauty and talents as her sister, she didn’t like dancing very much. Marie dropped out of her ballet lessons in secret, afraid of disappointing their mother. Brigitte, on the other hand, remained dedicated and concentrated on ballet.
The next step
After all that hard work, Brigitte was rewarded with a place at the Conservatoire de Paris. At this world-famous ballet school, she was able to hone her skills. She was taught by Russian choreographer Boris Knyazev for three years. According to her fellow ballerinas, she would move as nimble as a bichette, which also became her nickname.
Magazine cover at age 15
After being discovered as a model at age 14, her life changed. Only a year later, Brigitte was a cover model for Elle Magazine. On March 8, 1950, she graced the cover of this world-famous magazine. This would be the start of an extraordinary career and inevitable fame. And it all started at this young age.
Discovered as an actress
Her Elle cover got her noticed by film director, Roger Vadim. It was him that brought the photo to director and screenwriter Marc Allégret who asked her to audition for “Les lauriers sont coupés.” She got the role but the film was canceled but it was this experience that made her fall in love with acting.
Acting, acting, acting
In 1952, Brigitte Bardot made her big film debut with Le Trou Normand. She had had a taste of acting and managed to do seventeen more films in addition to performing in a stage play, L’Invitation au Château between 1952 and 1956. Talk about working hard!
Marrying Roger Vadim
Roger Vadim, the person who had discovered her and helped her get her first role as an actress, fell in love with Brigitte. The two had been working side to side and had gotten to know each other very well. In December 1952, just after her 18th birthday, the two got married. And all this started when Roger saw Brigitte on the Elle Magazine cover in 1950!
Affairs
Their marriage didn’t last long, unfortunately. In 1957, the two got divorced. Brigitte had had affairs with two other men, which had broken her husband’s heart. Fortunately, the two remained on good terms after there divorce and worked together on a few projects years afterwards.
Nervous breakdown
Brigitte took her divorce hard. And when her affair with Jean-Louis Trintignant, her lover, ended in 1958, she had a nervous breakdown. While staying in a hotel in Italy, she reportedly attempted to commit suicide by overdosing on sleeping pills.
Second marriage and child
This negative period in her life didn’t last very long. A few weeks later, she started dating actor Jacques Charrier. The two married in 1959, after Brigitte found out she was pregnant. Their baby was born in January of 1960. The two divorced in 1962, and Brigitte has had little contact with her (only) child since then.