Brigitte Bardot, icon of French cinema, dies at 91

Actress Brigitte Bardot shot to international fame dancing the mambo barefoot in "And God Created Woman," her tousled hair and fierce energy radiating a sexual magnetism rarely before seen in mainstream cinema.

A global icon was born.

At just 21, she scandalized censors and captivated audiences. Her free-spirited performance in the 1956 film, shot by her husband Roger Vadim, marked a decisive break from the demure heroines of the previous era.

Brigitte Bardot, often referred to in France simply as "B.B." and whose later years were marked by animal rights campaigns and far-right political sympathies, has died at the age of 91, her foundation said on Sunday. The cause was not immediately known.

Born in Paris on September 28, 1934, Bardot grew up in an upper-middle-class household. She described herself as a shy, self-conscious child who "wore spectacles and had lank hair."

By 15, however, she graced the cover of Elle magazine, launching a modeling career that soon led to film.

Bardot’s character in "And God Created Woman" was the embodiment of liberated femininity. The controversy only fueled her appeal. Bardot became a symbol of 1950s and 60s France.

Her allure extended far beyond French cinema. At 15, Bob Dylan is said to have written his first song about her, the never-released "Song for Brigitte," while Andy Warhol painted her portrait.

Bardot's ability to subvert traditional gender roles made her not just a sex symbol, but a pop culture icon and a touchstone for shifting social attitudes.

In 1959, Simone de Beauvoir penned an article for Esquire magazine in which she lionized Bardot's conspicuous sense of freedom. "B.B. does not try to scandalize," the feminist philosopher wrote. "She follows her inclinations. She eats when she is hungry and makes love with the same unceremonious simplicity.

"Moral lapses can be corrected, but how could B.B. be cured of that dazzling virtue — genuineness? It is her very substance."

De Beauvoir concluded: "I hope she will mature, but not change."

Production: Lisa Giles-Keddie/Reuters