Jane Birkin, actress, singer, model, and “it-girl” of the 60s and 70s in France, her adopted home, passed away at 76. The British-born singer cast quite the spell in Paris and was known by the French as their favorite “petite Anglaise” was found in her apartment in Paris, according to French media.
Born in 1946 to an actress mother and a naval officer father, Birkin would eventually make her way over to Paris, where she began a tumultuous love affair with French singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg whom she met on the set of Slogan (1969). Their relationship through her into the limelight as they became the most famous couple in the country with their off-again-on-again relationship, which lasted 12 years.
Birkin had already been active in London’s swinging 60s scene and was originally married to James Bond composer John Barry from 17 to 20. She appeared in a handful of films during this time, including Michelangelo Antonioni’s Blowup (1966). She then moved to France, taking on the role of Slogan despite not speaking a word of French. It was after this film that she relocated to France and became an idol in her own right.
Her most notable work includes the song “Je t’aime… moi non plus” (“I love you … me neither”), which she worked on with Gainsbourg. The song’s themes of overt sexuality caused it to be banned by radio stations in many countries, including the U.K., Italy, and Spain. The song made history on the U.K. charts when it somehow managed to end up on there twice, not due to any differences but because it was released by two different record labels after the first one dropped it due to the controversy that surrounded it.
Of her singing career in Paris and her role as Gainsbourg’s muse, she told The Independent back in 2017 that it was “very flattering to have the most beautiful songs, probably, in the French language written for one,” but adding, “how much talent did I really have? Perhaps not that much.” Despite those thoughts, the French sure loved her, and upon hearing of her death, many took to social media to express their sadness. French President, Emmanuel Macron, wrote on Twitter to say,
“Because she embodied freedom, because she sang the most beautiful words in our language, Jane Birkin was a French icon. A complete artist, her voice was as gentle as her commitments were ardent. She bequeaths us a legacy of songs and images that will never leave us.”
After her split from Gainsbourg, she started acting in more arthouse productions and gained three nominations at the Césars, France’s Oscars. In her time, she starred in roughly 70 films directed by some of France’s biggest directors, such as Bertrand Tavernier, Agnès Varda, Jean-Luc Godard, Alain Resnais, and James Ivory. It wasn’t just music and films where she made her stamp; those who are fashionably inclined will associate the name Birkin with the famous Hermés bag, named after the actress. Birkin was also awarded an OBE in 2001 for her services to acting and French-British relationships.
Birkin had three children, Kate Barry, who sadly passed away in 2013, Charlotte Gainsbourg, who became an actor and director, and Lou Doillon, who followed in her mother’s steps and works as a singer, musician, actress, and model.
The cause of her death is currently unknown. The actress had previously suffered a stroke in 2021, which she recovered from but had to cancel a tour again in 2022 after breaking her shoulder.