A native of London, Birkin began her career as an actress, appearing in minor roles in Michelangelo Antonioni's Blowup (1966) and Kaleidoscope (1966).

She mostly worked in France, where she had become a major star, and occasionally appeared in English-language films such as the Agatha Christie adaptations Death on the Nile (1978) and Evil Under the Sun (1982), as well as James Ivory's A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries (1998).

After separating from Gainsbourg in 1980, Birkin continued to work both as an actress and a singer, appearing in various independent films and recording numerous solo albums.

Barry "turned out to be a cold and unfaithful husband" and Birkin wrote in her diary, aged 19, "The feeling of being unwanted, undesired and unloved is beginning to strangle me".

The movie gained notoriety because of Birkin's nude scene, which she later said she did because John Barry had told her she would not have the courage to show up naked on set.

Birkin met Serge Gainsbourg when she auditioned for the lead female role in the French film Slogan in which he was starring (1969).

[26][27] Although she did not speak French[28] she won the role, co-starring alongside Gainsbourg, and she performed with him on the film's theme song, "La Chanson de Slogan", the first of many collaborations between the two.

[31] In 1969 she appeared with Gainsbourg in two films, Les Chemins de Katmandou and Cannabis, and by herself in Jacques Deray's psychological thriller La Piscine, which starred Romy Schneider and Alain Delon.

[34] The song caused a scandal for its sexual explicitness and was banned by radio stations in Italy,[35] Spain and the United Kingdom.

Birkin appeared on Gainsbourg's 1971 album Histoire de Melody Nelson, portraying the Lolita-like protagonist in song and on the cover.

[39] Reflecting on being a muse and collaborator of Gainsbourg's, Birkin commented: "[It is] very flattering to have the most beautiful songs, probably, in the French language written for one.

"[38] During the 1970s she released three albums, all mainly written by Gainsbourg: Di doo dah (1973), Lolita Go Home (1975) and Ex fan des sixties (1978).

[42] Gainsbourg kept writing music for Birkin after their breakup, including Baby Alone in Babylone (1983), their first collaboration after their separation in 1980, and Amours des feintes (1990), the last album he wrote before his death in 1991.

When it was screened at Cannes it caused a scandal, which led to an invitation for Birkin from Patrice Chéreau to star on stage in La Fausse suivante by Marivaux at Nanterre.

[40] 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).

[40] The album brought together a number of well-known soloists and featured her alongside Laurie Anderson, Irene Grandi and Melanie Gabriel, among others.

[44] In 2016 Birkin appeared in a campaign for Yves Saint Laurent shot by Hedi Slimane which featured various female musicians, including Marianne Faithfull, Courtney Love, and Joni Mitchell.

[42] The same year, she had the lead role in La femme et le TGV, a short film directed by Swiss filmmaker Timo von Gunten.

[45] On 24 March 2017, Birkin released Birkin/Gainsbourg: Le Symphonique, a collection of songs Gainsbourg had written for her during and after their relationship, reworked with full orchestral arrangements.

[13] On 16 October 1965, Birkin married British composer and conductor John Barry, 13 years her senior, in a private ceremony at Chelsea Register Office, London.

[15] Birkin had a romantic and creative relationship with French musician Serge Gainsbourg, 18 years her senior, whom she met on the set of Slogan in 1968.

[62] Birkin said that Doillon lost interest in casting her in his movies, and she felt "pain for Jacques going off with all these young girls making all these films all the time".

France's First Lady Brigitte Macron and Minister of Culture Rima Abdul Malak, Catherine Deneuve and her daughter Chiara Mastroianni; Vanessa Paradis; Maïwenn; Sandrine Kiberlain; Carole Bouquet; Charlotte Rampling and Anthony Vaccarello were among those who attended.

[74] Birkin campaigned against the far-right in France, participating in a protest denouncing the qualification of Jean-Marie Le Pen in the second round of the 2002 presidential election.

In 2017, she performed at a free concert at the Place de la République organised in opposition to Marine Le Pen in the 2017 presidential election.

[74] In September 2018, following the resignation of French environment minister Nicolas Hulot, Birkin was one of the 200 artists and scientists who signed an open letter published on the front page of the daily Le Monde titled "The Greatest Challenge in the History of Mankind", which urged politicians to act "firmly and immediately" in fighting climate change and the "collapse of biodiversity".

[79] In the diplomatic and overseas list of the 2001 Birthday Honours, Birkin was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire "for services to acting and UK-French cultural relations".

[84] In 2018, she was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun in the Spring Conferment for her efforts in promoting cultural exchanges between Japan and France.

[85] Birkin was described as having carried a hand-woven straw basket from Castro Marim in Algarve, Portugal, everywhere she went,[86] from the market,[87] to nightclubs,[88] to formal events until her husband Jacques Doillon intentionally ran over it with his car in the early 1980s.

Birkin had just placed her straw basket in the overhead compartment of her seat when the contents fell out onto the floor, leaving her scrambling to recover them.