Brigitte Bardot was a very famous French sex symbol during the 1950s. She still is a sex symbol but rather in the nursing home than Hollywood.
She grew up in a relatively wealthy family in Paris who had helped her get into ballet and acting. After her short career as a child fashion model, the predators of Hollywood had gotten her into acting.
During the 1950’s, she was one of the few European actresses that had been relevant in the United States. She began in English-speaking films with big roles in Helen of Troy and Doctor at Sea. She was labeled as one of the first “sex kittens” during this era.