Jane Birkin - Actress, Singer and Songwriter

Jane emerged in the Swinging London scene of the 1960s, before auditioning in France for the lead female role in the film Slogan . Although 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. Gainsbourg originally wrote the song for Brigitte Bardot. The hit track caused a scandal for its adult themes, and was banned by a number of radio stations.

Jane tells Cerys about her relationship with Serge, their daughter Charlotte, who has also gone on to be a successful recording artist, and why she has chosen to revisit some of the late Serge Gainsbourg’s tracks on her latest comeback album Le Symphonique. She also speaks candidly about her marriage to the English composer John Barry, best known for writing the music to a number of James Bond films.

(Photo: English actress Jane Birkin (L) and French musician Serge Gainsbourg (R) at home in Paris. Credit: Reg Lancaster/Getty Images)