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 scandalised 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...