Six years older than Bardot, Vadim, an aspiring filmmaker, would become a love interest to the future actress and play a major role in her rise to movie stardom. Brigitte Bardot sits on a quay in Saint-Tropez in the 1956 film "...And God Created Woman." Prior to that, foreign actresses became international celebrities only after starring in American movies, but Bardot resisted pressure to go to Hollywood. “Contempt” remains the one Bardot film considered a classic, but it’s atypical of the star’s usual light fare. Just as she made her own rules as a film star, Bardot provoked controversy as an animal rights activist.

Source: CNN December 28, 2025 17:52 UTC