Which French actress refused the Legion of Honor award and became an avid animal rights activist?

Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot (born 1934) was a French former actress and singer. She was known for portraying a sexually provocative and emancipated personae enjoying a hedonistic lifestyle. Recognized worldwide, she received the attribution- a sex symbol of the 1950s and 1960s. In fact, she was declared the fIrst and most liberated woman of post WWII France.

She was married and divorced 3 times and married her 4th husband in 1992.

She was born in the capital of Paris and aspired at an early age to be a ballerina. As a child she suffered from amblyopia (lazy eye, a disorder of sight) which resulted in decreased vision of her left eye.

Her parents were conservative Catholics and maintained strict behavioral standards in the home, including table manners and appropriate clothes. Her mother was extremely selective in choosing companions for her, and as a result Bardot had very few childhood friends. She resented her parents, leading to her future rebellious lifestyle.

When she retired from the entertainment industry, she had acted in 45 films, performed several musicals and recorded more than 60 songs. She was awarded the ‘Legion of Honor’ in 1985 (the highest French order of merits), but refused to accept it.

After retiring, she became an animal rights activist. During the 2000s she generated controversy by criticizing immigration and Islam in France- she has been fined 5 times for inciting racial hatred.