Alain Delon, the internationally acclaimed French actor known for his roles as both the villain and the hero, died at age 88, French media reported.
With his striking looks and tender demeanor, Delon’s ability to combine toughness with a captivating vulnerability made him one of France’s most memorable leading men. In addition to acting, he was a producer, appeared in plays, and later starred in television movies.
French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute, describing Delon as “a French monument.” He remarked, “Alain Delon has played legendary roles and made the world dream. Melancholic, popular, secretive, he was more than a star.”
Delon’s children announced his death on Sunday in a statement to Agence France-Presse, sparking an outpouring of tributes on social media, with French media dedicating extensive coverage to his illustrious career.
Earlier this year, his son Anthony revealed that Delon had been diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma, a type of cancer. Over the past year, Delon’s deteriorating health had led to a family dispute over his care, resulting in a contentious public exchange among his three children.
During the peak of his career in the 1960s and 1970s, Delon worked with some of the world’s top directors, including Luchino Visconti and Joseph Losey. His first critical acclaim came in 1960 with “Plein Soleil,” where he portrayed a murderer attempting to assume his victims’ identities. He worked with Visconti in the 1961 film “Rocco and His Brothers,” earning the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival.
In 1963, he starred in Visconti’s “Le Guepard” (The Leopard), which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes. Other notable films include Clément’s “Is Paris Burning,” Deray’s “La Piscine” (The Sinners), and Losey’s “The Assassination of Trotsky” in 1972.
Delon began producing movies in 1968, completing 26 by 1990. His self-assuredness was evident in a 1996 statement, “I like to be loved the way I love myself!” This echoed the charisma he exuded on-screen.
Despite his disillusionment with the industry, which he felt had been ruined by money and commerce, Delon continued working well into his 70s. He faced criticism for some of his comments in later years, stepping down from the Miss France jury in 2013 after a series of controversial statements. Nonetheless, he received a Palme d’Honneur at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, which sparked further debate.
The Cannes Film Festival expressed its sadness, noting that Delon “embodied French cinema far beyond its borders.” The Brigitte Bardot Foundation praised him as “an exceptional man, an unforgettable artist and a great friend of animals,” adding that his close friend Brigitte Bardot was deeply saddened by his passing.
Film producer Alain Terzian described Delon as “the last of the giants,” marking the end of an era in French cinema. Born on November 8, 1935, in Sceaux, Delon was placed with a foster family after his parents’ separation. At 17, he joined the navy and later held various jobs in Paris before turning to acting.
Delon had a son, Anthony, with his then-wife Nathalie Canovas. He had two more children, Anouchka and Alain-Fabien, with Rosalie van Breemen. Despite widespread belief, he never publicly acknowledged paternity of Ari Boulogne, the son of Nico.
In a 1995 interview, Delon said, “I am very good at three things: my job, foolishness and children.” Throughout his life, he engaged in various ventures, including horse breeding and developing a line of colognes and accessories. He also collected art.
Though he announced his retirement in 1999, Delon continued acting, appearing in Bertrand Blier’s “Les Acteurs” and later in several TV shows. His good looks remained a defining attribute, and he once remarked, “You’ll never see me old and ugly,” a sentiment he maintained even as he neared 70.
In 2019, during a gala at Cannes honoring him, Delon reflected on his legacy: “One thing I’m sure about is that if there’s something I’m proud of, really, the only thing, it’s my career.”
