Brigitte Bardot – 86

Even today, French actress Brigitte Bardot remains iconic to many, particularly because of her personal style and the colorful stories surrounding her career. It is curious to know that she didn’t plan on becoming an actress at all. In fact, she was an aspiring ballerina and was even mentored by Russian choreographer Boris Knyazev. Fate had other plans for her, however. We wonder if things would have turned out different if she was able to take online classes for ballet while acting as well!

Thanks to her appearing on magazines, Bardot was able to begin her film career. She started out with small roles, before landing a part in Act of Love, which starred Kirk Douglas. The media attention she received during the Cannes Film Festival premiere for the film guaranteed her stardom in France. Following her retirement, she focused her energy and her on becoming an animal rights activist.