Jane Birkin: Tributes pour in for the late actor, singer and pop culture icon
English-French actor and musician Jane Birkin has died at the age of 76, the French Culture Ministry has confirmed.
Birkin rose to fame in the 1960s, starring in films such as Blow Up, La Piscine and Slogan. Through the following decades, Birkin starred in more movies such as Death on the Nile and La Belle Noiseuse, as well as several collaborations with Agnes Varda, such as Jane B. par Agnès V.
She released music, often collaborating with her husband, Serge Gainsbourg. The pair recorded the iconic erotic hit ‘Je t’aime moi non plus’ together, which featured on the album Jane Birkin/Serge Gainsbourg.
The actor/musician also inspired the iconic Hermès Birkin bag and was known as a fashion icon. Birkin was notable for carrying a basket bag with simple yet chic outfits, defining the quintessential French girl style.
Despite being considered Gainsbourg’s muse, Birkin was often self-conscious. She told The Independent in 2013 that she found it “very flattering to have the most beautiful songs, probably, in the French language written for one,” however, “How much talent did I really have? Perhaps not that much.”
Although Birkin was born in England, she relocated to France while filming Slogan. The film starred Gainsbourg, who she began dating shortly after. The pair never married but remained together for 12 years, parting ways in 1980. Together, they had one child, the successful singer and actor Charlotte Gainsbourg, born in 1971.
Birkin also had a daughter, the late Kate Barry, from her first marriage to James Bond composer John Barry. With Jacques Doillon, Birkin gave birth to her third daughter, Lou Doillon, a singer, actor and model, in 1982.
Since the news was announced, many stars have paid tribute to Birkin, such as Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon, who wrote on Instagram: “RIP Jane Birkin, so sad to hear this! She was always a quiet and powerful inspiration! Lucky to have met her once.”
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