Famous for portraying characters with hedonistic lifestyles, she is one of the best known symbols of the sexual revolution. Although she withdrew from the entertainment industry in , she remains a major pop culture icon. She was awarded the Legion of Honour in Born and raised in Paris, Bardot was an aspiring ballerina during her childhood. She started her acting career in and achieved international recognition in for her role in And God Created Woman , catching the attention of many French intellectuals and earning her the nickname " sex kitten ".
For her role in Louis Malle 's film Viva Maria! After retiring from acting in , Bardot became an animal rights activist and created the Brigitte Bardot Foundation. She is known for her strong personality, outspokenness, and speeches on animal defense; she has been fined twice for public insults.
Bardot's childhood was prosperous; she lived in her family's seven-bedroom apartment in the luxurious 16th arrondissement. She attended ballet classes held by Russian choreographer Boris Knyazev for three years. Bardot appeared on the cover of Elle again in , which landed her an offer for a small part in the comedy film Crazy for Love the same year, directed by Jean Boyer and starring Bourvil. Bardot had a small role in a Hollywood -financed film being shot in Paris in , Act of Love , starring Kirk Douglas.
She received media attention when she attended the Cannes Film Festival in April Bardot had a leading role in in an Italian melodrama, Concert of Intrigue and in a French adventure film, Caroline and the Rebels.
Bardot played her first sizeable English-language role in in Doctor at Sea , as the love interest for Dirk Bogarde. The film was the third-most-popular movie in Britain that year. She had another in the Hollywood film Helen of Troy , playing Helen's handmaiden. For the Italian movie Mio figlio Nerone brunette Bardot was asked by the director to appear as a blonde.
