BRIGITTE BARDOT

Brigitte Bardot remains a cultural icon to this day as one of the biggest bombshells of the 20th century. She began her career in 1949 when she was hired as a fashion model by Elle magazine director Hélène Gordon-Lazareff. She appeared on the cover of the magazine for the first time in 1950. She did another cover appearance in 1952, which led to her first movie role in the comedy film Crazy for Love.

Bardot was propelled into stardom for her role in the movies Naughty Girl, Plucking the Daisy, The Bride Is Much Too Beautiful, and And God Created Woman. However, she announced her retirement from acting in 1973. Aside from her acting, she became known for her animal rights activism, using her fame to promote it around the world. She poured investments into animal welfare programs. Even at age 86, she remains active in her advocacy and has dabbled into political discourse, which made headlines in France and abroad.