Jane Mallory Birkin OBE (born 14 December 1946)
[allmusic Biography] is an
English actress, model, singer and
film director who lives in
France. She is best known for her duet "
Je t'aime... moi non plus" with
Serge Gainsbourg.
Birkin was born in
London to David Birkin, a
Royal Navy lieutenant-commander and
World War II espionage operative, and
Judy Campbell, an actress in
Noel Coward musicals. Birkin's brother is the screenwriter/director
Andrew Birkin. Her first cousin once removed was
Freda Dudley Ward, a mistress of
Edward VIII while he was
Prince of Wales.
Career
Birkin emerged in the
Swinging London scene of the 1960s, appearing as one of the models in the 1966 film
Blowup.
[ In "Blowup," Birkin had the distinction of being the first actress to show pubic hair in a mainstream British movie.] In 1968, Birkin auditioned in France for the lead female role in
Slogan. Though she did not speak
French, she won the role. She co-starred with
Serge Gainsbourg, and duetted with him on the film's theme song — the first of many collaborations between the two.
