French actress Brigitte Bardot died today, December 28, 2025. Her impact on not only French cinema but also international screen culture was significant. Her influence extended beyond Paris, although her acting career was relatively short. It began in the late ’50s with Roger Vadim’s And God Created Woman, which earned almost $8.5 million and brought Bardot into the global spotlight. For more than a decade, Bardot starred in films, and in 1973, she graced the silver screen for the last time in a supporting role in The Edifying and Joyous Story of Colinot. Bardot’s looks and “girlish sensuality” became a sought-after template for youth-centered femininity in film; Variety wrote she was “the rage for youth in female sexuality” across media.

By the 1970s, her influence had also contributed to loosening cinematic censorship in the United States, as foreign films often linked to her name were seen as daring in their depiction of sexuality. Bardot often looked “youthful” compared to American actresses who were seen as mature, such as Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe. Before Bardot took to the screen, she had modeled, even appearing on the cover of Elle magazine. This led to Simone de Beauvoir publishing Brigitte Bardot and the Lolita Syndrome in 1959. The novel centered around her cultural power. After the publication and a few acting jobs, Bardot sought more serious roles in films such as Jean-Luc Godard’s Contempt, which was released in 1963. Reviewer David Rooney later described the movie as one that “exploited her reputation and brilliantly commented on it.”

After her acting career, Bardot went on to record more than 80 songs; she consistently remained in the limelight and became an animal rights activist. In 1986, she founded the Brigitte Bardot Foundation for animal rights at around 52 years old; she later refused the French Legion of Honor awarded for her efforts. Although many people adored her, in the second half of her life she made public statements that often generated controversy; she was repeatedly fined by French courts for remarks that “incited racial hatred.” Bardot leaves behind her fourth husband, Bernard d’Ormale, her son from her marriage to actor Jacques Charrier, and two granddaughters.