Brigitte Bardot Dies at 91

French actress and singer Brigitte Bardot, who rose to global fame as a symbol of postwar sensuality and later became a prominent animal rights advocate, has died at the age of 91.

The Brigitte Bardot Foundation announced her death on Sunday. According to reports, Bardot passed away weeks after undergoing surgery and battling a sudden illness. She had been at her home in Saint-Tropez when she was rushed to a hospital in nearby Toulon, where she was recovering from the procedure.

Born in 1934 in Paris to a prosperous Catholic family, Bardot showed early promise as a dancer, studying at the prestigious Conservatoire de Paris. At 15, she began modeling and appeared on the cover of Elle magazine, which led to her entry into film. She made her screen debut in 1952 at age 17 with small roles in the comedy Crazy for Love and the drama Manina, the Girl in the Bikini.

Her career took off after meeting screenwriter Roger Vadim during an audition. The two married in 1952 once she turned 18, and he cast her in his 1956 directorial debut, And God Created Woman. Bardot portrayed an uninhibited teenager in Saint-Tropez, a role that propelled her to international stardom. The film was a...