Brigitte Bardot Biography

Fast Facts

• Received a Bambi Award in 1967
• Established the Brigitte Bardot Foundation for the Welfare and Protection of Animals in 1986
• A student of ballet, she would train at the Conservatoire de Paris
• Enrolled in dance as a child, she would soon become enamored with performing on stage
• After appearing in her first fashion show in 1949, she would land her first magazine cover the next year, followed by her film debut in 1952
• Announced her retirement from motion pictures in 1973
• Initially interested in romantic comedies set only in Europe, she would gain international stardom following her role in 1956's "And God Created Woman," her first attempt at a dramatic role
• Bob Dylan once admitted that he dedicated the first song he ever wrote to Bardot
• Known for popularizing the bikini in the 1950s, which was relatively risque in the United States at the time