The Hollywood and fashion communities lost a true titan of pop culture this weekend. It’s been reported that Jane Birkin, the beloved English actress and singer who inspired the bag that holds her surname, has died at the age of 76. Since the news broke, a plethora of fans have taken to the Internet to pay tribute to her. One of her more notable admirers is none other than fellow actress Hayley Atwell. The Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning star paid tribute to Birkin in a subtle, yet sweet, way.
Hayley Atwell, like so many others, used social media as a means to honor the late French cinema icon. The 41-year-old A-lister took to her Instagram story to express her condolences, sharing a vintage photo of the big-screen titan as well as her life span. And in the bottom right-hand corner, there’s a small heart scribbled down. You can Atwell’s tribute to her fellow London-born thespian down below:
Though it’s a subtle tribute, it's one that exemplifies the fact that the Captain America: The First Avenger alum respected the A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries star and her body of work. The two actresses do have different professional paths, of course. While Jane Birkin, did mostly arthouse films, her famous fan has (non-exclusively) done plenty of blockbusters. But though she’s done wild car stunts with Tom Cruise and wielded a shield for a “frustrating” Captain Carter cameo, one would imagine that she seeks to channel elements of Birkin’s work in whatever she does.
Jane Birkin was born in London on December 14, 1946 and ultimately began auditioning for movie and TV roles as a young woman. By the ‘60s, she appeared in films like Wonderwall and Kaleidescope. It was during this decade that she also began to appear in French films, as she starred in La Piscine and even landed the lead role in Slogan, despite not speaking the language. While she gained recognition for her work, her celebrity status would truly rise after she married her second husband, French music man Serge Gainsbourg, in 1968. The two would collaborate for years and eventually separate in 1980.
The late star was also known for her keen sense of style, especially her eclectic accessories. In the ‘80s, she caught the attention of Jean-Louis Dumas, one of the big wigs at the Hermès group, who took notice of her signature straw basket while they were on a flight. After learning from the actress that she couldn’t find a leather bag that worked for her, Dumas created one just for her, and it was ultimately dubbed the Birkin bag. Today, it remains a hot-ticket item – and a pricey one at that. Birkin seemed mostly content with the product but, at one point, she did ask for her name to be removed, before the company complied with the production practices she was lobbying for.
Per The New York Times, Jane Birkin was found dead in her home in Paris, and a cause of death has yet to be confirmed. Though it’s sad that she's no longer with us, she certainly lived a full life, and we’re all the better for having had her for as long as we did. Her influence was quite mighty, and it’ll surely continue to be felt for years to come. One would think that Hayley Atwell and other actors that were influenced by Birkin’s work will see to that.
We here at CinemaBlend extend our condolences to the family and loved ones of Jane Birkin during this time.
