Jane Birkin

Jane Birkin

born on 14/12/1946 in London, England, United Kingdom

Jane Birkin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Jane Birkin

Birkin in 2009
Born Jane Mallory Birkin
December 14 1946
Marylebone, London, England
Occupation Singer, actress, director, songwriter
Years active 1966present
Spouse(s) John Barry (1965-1968)
Partner Serge Gainsbourg (1968-1980)
Jacques Doillon (1980-1991)
Children Kate Barry
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Lou Doillon
Website
janebirkin.net

Jane Mallory Birkin, OBE (born 14 December 1946)[1] is an English actress and singer who lives in France. She is perhaps best known for her relationship with Serge Gainsbourg in the 1970s. In recent years she has written her own album, directed a film and become an outspoken proponent of democracy in Burma.

Early life

Jane Mallory Birkin was born on 14 December 1946, in Marylebone, London. Her mother, Judy Campbell, was an English actress, best known for her work on stage. Her father, David Birkin, was a Royal Navy lieutenant-commander and World War II spy. Her brother is the screenwriter and director Andrew Birkin. She was educated at Upper Chine School, Isle of Wight.

Career

Birkin emerged in the Swinging London scene of the 1960s, appearing briefly in the film counterculture era film Blowup (1966) and as the fantasy-like model in the psychedelic film Wonderwall (1968). That same year, she auditioned in France for the lead female role in the film Slogan (1969).[2] Though she did not speak French, she won the role, co-starring alongside Serge Gainsbourg, and she performed with him on the film's theme song, "La chanson de slogan" — the first of many collaborations between the two. In 1969, she and Gainsbourg released the duet "Je t'aime... moi non plus" ("I love you... me neither"). Gainsbourg originally wrote the song for Brigitte Bardot. The song caused a scandal for its sexual explicitness, and was banned by radio stations in Italy, Spain, and the UK.

"Je t'aime" made UK chart history in that on 4 October 1969 and the following week on 11 October, the song was at two different chart positions even though it is the same song, the same artists, and the same recorded version. The only difference was that they were on different record labels. It was originally released on the Fontana label, but due to its controversy, Fontana withdrew the record which was then released on the Major Minor label. Because there were Fontana singles still in the shops along with the Major Minor release, on 4 October 1969 the Major Minor release was at number 3 and the Fontana single at number 16. Also at that time it was the biggest ever selling single for a completely foreign language record. She appeared on Gainsbourg's 1971 album Histoire de Melody Nelson, portraying the Lolita-like protagonist in song and on the cover.[3]

She took a break from acting in 197172, but returned as Brigitte Bardot's lover in Don Juan, or If Don Juan Were a Woman (1973).[1] In 1975, she appeared in Gainsbourg's first film, Je t'aime... moi non plus, which created a stir for frank examination of sexual ambiguity. For this performance she was nominated for a Best Actress César Award.[1]

Birkin appeared in the Agatha Christie films Death on the Nile (1978) and Evil Under the Sun (1982), and recorded several albums, including Baby Alone in Babylone, Amours des Feintes, Lolita Go Home, and Rendez-vous. She won Female Artist of the Year in the 1992 Victoires de la Musique.[1] She starred in two films directed by Jacques Doillon as Anne in La fille prodigue (1981) and as Alma in La pirate (1984, nominated for a César Award). This work led to an invitation from Patrice Chéreau to star on stage in La Fausse suivante by Marivaux at Nanterre. She worked with director Herbert Vesely on Egon Schiele Exzess und Bestrafung in 1980, appearing as the mistress of Austrian artist Egon Schiele, played by Mathieu Carrière. Jacques Rivette collaborated with her in Love on the Ground (1983) and La Belle Noiseuse (1991, Nominated Césars best supporting actress). In 1985, she co-starred with John Gielgud, who was Katherine Mansfield's husband, in Leave All Fair (1985). She appeared in Merchant Ivory's A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries (1998) (which also used her song "Di Doo Dah") and in Merci Docteur Rey (2002). The end title song for Le Divorce (2003) featured her singing "L'Anamour", composed by Gainsbourg. In 2006, she played the title role in Elektra, directed by Philippe Calvario in France.[1]

Birkin recorded the song "Beauty" on French producer Hector Zazou's album Strong Currents (2003).[1] The cover art of Have You Fed the Fish? (2002) by singer-songwriter Badly Drawn Boy features her image and backing vocals by her daughter, Charlotte Gainsbourg.[1] In 2010, she recorded a duet with Brazilian singer Sérgio Dias for a project by Dias and French band Tahiti Boy and the Palmtree Family.

Birkin bag

In 1981, Hermès chief executive Jean-Louis Dumas was seated next to Birkin on a flight from Paris to London. Birkin had just placed her straw bag in the overhead compartment of her seat, but the contents fell to the floor, leaving her to scramble to replace the contents. Birkin explained to Dumas that it had been difficult to find a leather weekend bag she liked. In 1984, he created a black supple leather bag for her: the Birkin bag,[4][5] based on an 1892 design. She used the bag for herself for quite some time until developing tendinitis, switching to other types at that point.[6]

Affiliations

Birkin's humanitarian interests led her to work with Amnesty International on immigrant welfare and AIDS issues. She has visited Bosnia, Rwanda, Palestine and Israel.

Awards/honours

In 2001, Birkin was awarded the OBE. She has also been awarded the French Ordre National du Mérite. She won the "Best Actress" award at the 1985 Venice Film Festival for her performance in the film Dust, and also in 1985 the "Best Actress" award at the Orleans Film Festival for Leave All Fair.

Personal life

Birkin was married in 1965 to John Barry, the English composer best known for writing the music to numerous James Bond films and other films. They met when Barry cast Birkin in his musical Passion Flower Hotel. Their daughter, photographer Kate Barry, was born on 8 April 1967.[7] The marriage ended in 1968.[8]

She had a passionate and creative relationship with her mentor Serge Gainsbourg, whom she met on the set of Slogan in 1968, a relationship that lasted 13 years.[9] They never married, despite rumours and misreporting to the contrary.[10][11][12] In 1971 they had a daughter, the actress and singer Charlotte Gainsbourg. They separated in 1980.[13]

On 4 September 1982 she gave birth to her third daughter, Lou Doillon, from her relationship with the director Jacques Doillon[14] They separated in the 1990s. The Observer reported in 2007 that Doillon "could not compete with her grief for Gainsbourg" (who died in 1991), and that she had lived alone since their separation.[15]

Discography

Studio albums
  • 1969 Je t'aime... moi non plus with Serge Gainsbourg
  • 1971 Serge Gainsbourg – Histoire de Melody Nelson           
  • 1973 Di doo dah
  • 1975 Lolita go home
  • 1978 Ex fan des sixties
  • 1983 Baby alone in Babylone
  • 1987 Lost song
  • 1990 Amours des feintes
  • 1996 Versions Jane
  • 1998 Best Of
  • 1999 À La Légère
  • 2004 Rendez-Vous
  • 2006 Fictions
  • 2008 Enfants d'Hiver
Live albums
  • 1987 Jane Birkin au Bataclan
  • 1992 Integral au Casino de Paris
  • 1996 Integral a l'Olympia
  • 2002 Arabesque
  • 2009 au palace (live)

Selected filmography

Year Title Role Director
1965 The Knack ...and How to Get It a girl on a motorbike (uncredited) Richard Lester
1966 Kaleidoscope Exquisite Thing Jack Smight
Blowup a young blonde Michelangelo Antonioni
1968 Wonderwall Penny Lane Joe Massot
1969 La Piscine Penelope Jacques Deray
1970 Cannabis Jane Swenson Pierre Koralnik
1972 Trop jolies pour être honnêtes Christine Richard Balducci
1973 Dark Places Alta Don Sharp
Don Juan, or If Don Juan Were a Woman Clara Roger Vadim
1974 How to Do Well When You are a Jerk and a Crybaby Jane Michel Audiard
Serious as Pleasure Ariane Berg Robert Benayoun
1975 Sept morts sur ordonnance Jane Berg Jacques Rouffio
1976 Je t'aime moi non plus Johnny Serge Gainsbourg
1977 L'Animal the female film star Claude Zidi
1978 Death on the Nile Louise Bourget John Guillermin
1980 Egon Schiele Excess and Punishment Wally Neuzil Herbert Vesely
1982 Evil Under the Sun Christine Redfern Guy Hamilton
1983 Love on the Ground Emily Jacques Rivette
1984 The Pirate Alma Jacques Doillon
1985 Dust Magda Marion Hänsel
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea Nikos' former love" (voice) Marion Hänsel
Leave All Fair Katherine Mansfield John Reid
1986 La Femme de ma vie Laura Régis Wargnier
1987 Kung-Fu Master Mary-Jane Agnès Varda
Keep Your Right Up the fun-loving woman Jean-Luc Godard
1990 Daddy Nostalgie Caroline Bertrand Tavernier
1991 La Belle Noiseuse Liz Jacques Rivette
1995 One Hundred and One Nights Madame Radin Agnès Varda
1997 Same Old Song Jane Alain Resnais
1998 A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries Mrs Fortescue James Ivory
1999 The Last September Francie Montmorency Deborah Warner
2002 Merci Docteur Rey Pénélope Andrew Litvack
2003 Le Divorce singer (end title) James Ivory
2006 Boxes Anna Jane Birkin herself
2009 36 Views from the Pic Saint-Loup Kate Jacques Rivette
2012 Twice Born The psychologist Sergio Castellitto
2013 Nobody's Daughter Haewon Herself Hong Sang Soo
2013 Quai d'Orsay Molly Hutchinson Bertrand Tavernier

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 [Jane Birkin at All Music Guide Profile at Allmusic.com]
  2. Slogan (AKA L'amour et l'amour), FilmAffinity, 1969.
  3. {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}
  4. Bag lady: Victoria Beckham's 100-Strong Birkin Bag Collection That's Worth £1.5m, The Daily Mail, 20 May 2009. URL accessed on 19 October 2010.
  5. In the Bag, Time magazine, 17 April 2007. URL accessed on 19 October 2010.
  6. The Birkin Rules, 5 September 2006. URL accessed on 11 November 2012.
  7. {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}
  8. Brophy, Gwenda, Time and place: Jane Birkin, The Sunday Times, 15 February 2009. URL accessed on 26 September 2011.
  9. Auld, Tim, Jane Birkin: marching to her own tune, The Telegraph, 13 February 2009. URL accessed on 26 September 2011.
  10. Robinson, Lisa, The Secret World of Serge Gainsbourg, Vanity Fair, November 2007. URL accessed on 3 September 2011.
  11. McKie, Andrew, Death Is Not the End, Wall Street Journal, 25 February 2011. URL accessed on 26 September 2011.
  12. Adams, William Lee, French Chanteuse Charlotte Gainsbourg, Time, 26 January 2010. URL accessed on 26 September 2011.
  13. Barlow, Helen, A bit twisted, Sydney Morning Herald, 9 June 2007. URL accessed on 26 September 2011.
  14. Lou Doillon, Elle.fr. URL accessed on 26 September 2011.
  15. Adams, Tim, A charmed life, The Observer, 28 October 2007. URL accessed on 26 September 2011.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jane Birkin
  • Jane Birkin's Official site www.janebirkin.net
  • Jane Birkin's Film "BOXES" www.boxes-lefilm.fr
  • Yahoo Movies Bio
  • Jane Birkin at the Internet Movie Database
  • [Jane Birkin at All Music Guide Jane Birkin] at Allmusic
  • Jane Birkin at All Movie Guide
  • A Tribute to Gainsbourg, zoom sur Jane Birkin
  • Jane Birkin interview in madison Magazine
  • Jane Birkin biography
  • CNN interview with Jane Birkin
  • Jane Birkin speaks with Flyglobalmusic.com and introduces songs from Enfants d'Hiver
  • "Sweet Sixties"  "Slogan"-Review
  • Jane Birkin, thepeerage.com
This page was last modified 30.04.2014 04:35:05

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