Show summary Hide summary
Brigitte Bardot, she has that crazy and timeless charm that never gets old. Born on September 28, 1934, she is approaching 90 while having made a mark far beyond cinema. At 1m68, she lit up the screens from the 1950s, and even though today she prefers a quiet life away from the spotlight, her aura remains intact. You know, she has been married to Bernard d’Ormale since 1992, a discreet pillar by her side in recent years.
Honestly, Brigitte Bardot is a bit the quintessential French star. Before becoming the glamorous icon we know, she started very young, passionate about dance and theater, a true love of the arts that quickly propelled her in front of the camera. Her very particular face, her somewhat wild manners, that’s what made many hearts flutter and shook French as well as international cinema.
I confess that following her career is fascinating. She was not just a pretty face. Her roles in cult films like “And God Created Woman” or “Le Mépris” literally redefined the image of the free woman on screen. Brigitte was that energy, that breath of fresh air, a real breath of modernity that often surprised, sometimes shocked. I always found that brave, don’t you think?
But Brigitte Bardot’s life isn’t just cinema, it’s also her passionate commitment to animal rights. She left cinema in 1973 to devote herself to this battle close to her heart. Since then, she has managed the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, a fight that defines her as much as her films. She’s not just a star on a screen, she’s a passionate and committed woman, and that inspires huge respect.
Brigitte Bardot: who is this French icon?
So, Brigitte Bardot is above all a myth. Born in Paris in 1934, she became one of the most symbolic stars of 1950s and 1960s cinema. She never lost that little rebellious and free air, even if today she seems a bit withdrawn from the world. She has crossed eras, fashions, dramas, and joys, always with that uncontrollable flame.
At 91, she can no longer walk without canes, as she recently confided to Le Parisien. An image that shocks a bit, especially when you think of the proud woman she was on the big screen. But she remains incredibly strong, still present at her Garrigue farm in Saint-Tropez where she now watches over her many animals, not forgetting the vivid memory of her years of glory.
We often forget that she has a family, a son, Nicolas Charrier, who lives in Norway, and three great-granddaughters. Yet, their ties are rather distant, she described it with a mix of love and melancholy in interviews. It’s a bit the golden solitude of this immense star, protected by the shadow of La Madrague, her legendary house on the Côte d’Azur.
Her notoriety is such that even today, her husband Bernard d’Ormale has to manage some rather crazy situations, like that stranger who slept several nights in the garden of their property, a strange and worrying fact that shows life is never simple, even for a legend. Since then, security has been tightened because, at 91, fragility is not an option.
From dancer to diva: the impressive beginnings of Brigitte Bardot
At first, she mainly wanted to be a dancer, a true youthful passion that gave her that characteristic carriage of the head. She quickly turned to cinema, and bam, love at first sight from the public. Her first real success, “And God Created Woman”, gave her a booming fame and made her enter the legend. It shook France and the cinema of the time.
She didn’t just play seductress roles, no, she tried more complex characters. In Godard’s “Le Mépris”, she showed a deeper and more sensitive range. I love that side of her, the fact that she didn’t want to stay stuck in just one role. That’s probably the secret to her longevity in our memories.
And yet, at 39, she stopped, exhausted by fame and the spotlight. Quite surprising when you see her place in the pantheon of French stars. But hey, everyone does what they want with their destiny, right? What’s certain is that she never lost her freedom, neither in her life nor in her choices.
After her film career, her commitment to animals became her number one fight. She founded her own institution to defend them in 1986, a radical transition but one that fits perfectly with what she embodies. That’s where you see the real Brigitte, the whole woman, sometimes tough but always sincere.
Major successes and cult films that marked the history of French cinema
- 🎬 “And God Created Woman” (1956): the breakout film that propelled her to sex-symbol status and changed the image of women on screen.
- 🎬 “Le Mépris” (1963): a masterpiece by Jean-Luc Godard where she shows the full depth of her talent.
- 🎬 “Viva Maria!” (1965): an action comedy full of energy that surprises with its modernity.
- 🎬 “The Jewelers of the Moonlight” (1958): another important role demonstrating her ability to play varied registers.
- 🎬 “The Truth” (1960): a poignant drama that earned her significant critical recognition.
Brigitte Bardot in 2024: between fragile health and peaceful life in Saint-Tropez
Lately, her health has been worrying quite a bit. She was hospitalized in 2024, her condition caused a wave of general emotion. Yet, she remains faithful to her Madrague, far from the media and stress. You can feel this woman who gave everything, who just wants to breathe a little, quietly, surrounded by her animals.
She confided to Femme Actuelle that she almost no longer walks, uses canes, and that dancing has become torture. A real shock for her fans, but she keeps a fighting spirit, always attached to her environment and her beasts. It’s moving, in a “growing old with dignity” mode.
And then there is this really crazy story of a stranger who arrives at night at La Madrague, seems to wait for Brigitte, and even falls asleep outside on a swing. Her husband explained that security has been beefed up since, which shows how much the years erase neither admiration nor fascination, sometimes to the extreme.
In the same vein, she does not want to make her 90th birthday a grand event. She told Paris Match that she didn’t care much, just another day. Not pretentious, just real. That’s BB, not the star but the woman behind, with her strengths and her weaknesses.
What to remember about Brigitte Bardot’s life off-screen
- 🌿 Her relentless fight for animal rights through her foundation established in 1986.
- 🌿 A family life marked by distance from her son, who lives in Norway.
- 🌿 Married to Bernard d’Ormale since 1992, her unwavering support.
- 🌿 Her house, La Madrague, which has become a symbol of her retirement and protection of privacy.
- 🌿 A troubling episode of nighttime intrusions in her garden in 2024, prompting increased security.
For more information about this incredible icon, you can take a look at her Wikipedia page or follow some recent health news. It’s crazy how she continues to make people talk, even far from the lights.
