Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot (/brɪˌʒiːt bɑːrˈdoʊ/ (listen) brizh-EET bar-DOH, French: [bʁiʒit baʁdo] (listen); born 28 September 1934), often referred to by the initials B.B., is a French former actress and singer, and animal rights activist. Famous for portraying sexually emancipated personae with hedonistic lifestyles, she was one of the best known sex symbols of the 1950s and 1960s. Although she withdrew from the entertainment industry in 1973, she remains a major popular culture icon.