French news bulletins announced on Sunday (December 28) the death of legendary French actress Brigitte Bardot.

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 modelling career that soon led to film.

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

Production: Ardee Napolitano/Reuters