PARIS (AP) — Alain Delon, the internationally acclaimed French actor renowned for his roles as both the anti-hero and law enforcer, has died at the age of 88, French media reported.
Delon, beloved for his striking looks and gentle demeanor, blended toughness with an alluring vulnerability, making him one of France’s most memorable leading men. Beyond acting, he was a prolific producer and also graced the stage and television screens in his later years.
French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to Delon on X, referring to him as “a French monument.” Macron wrote, “Delon has played legendary roles and made the world dream. Melancholic, popular, secretive, he was more than a star.”
Delon’s children announced his passing on Sunday via a statement to the French national news agency Agence France-Presse, leading to an outpouring of tributes on social media and extensive coverage of his illustrious career by leading French media.
Earlier this year, Delon’s son Anthony disclosed that his father had been diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma, a type of cancer. Over the past year, Delon’s declining health became a focal point in a family dispute, with his three children publicly disagreeing over his care.
At the height of his career in the 1960s and 1970s, Delon captivated filmmakers worldwide, working with eminent directors like Luchino Visconti and Joseph Losey. He first garnered critical acclaim in 1960 with “Plein Soleil,” directed by René Clément, where he portrayed a murderer assuming the identity of his victims. His performance in Visconti’s 1961 film “Rocco and His Brothers,” as a dedicated brother, earned the movie the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival. Delon’s starring role in the 1963 Visconti film “Le Guepard” (“The Leopard”) led to the film winning the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
Delon’s filmography includes Clément’s “Is Paris Burning,” Jacques Deray’s “La Piscine” (“The Sinners”), and Losey’s “The Assassination of Trotsky” in 1972. In 1968, Delon expanded his repertoire by producing films, overseeing 26 productions by 1990.
Despite his success, Delon grew disillusioned with the industry, lamenting in 2003 that “Money, commerce, and television have wrecked the dream machine.” Nonetheless, he continued to take on roles, including several TV movies into his 70s.
His unforgettable screen presence spanned a diverse array of characters, from morally ambiguous heroes to romantic leads. Known for his charismatic statements, Delon once told Femme in 1996, “I like to be loved the way I love myself!”
Delon’s later years saw him continue to engage audiences, albeit occasionally attracting controversy for his views. He appeared in the 2010 film “Un mari de trop” (“One Husband Too Many”) and returned to the stage in 2011 with “An Ordinary Day,” featuring his daughter Anouchka. He briefly presided over the Miss France jury but resigned in 2013 following disagreements over controversial comments he made regarding women, LGBTQIA+ rights, and migrants. Nevertheless, he received a Palme d’Honneur at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, sparking further debate.
The Cannes Film Festival expressed its “sadness,” stating that Delon “embodied French cinema far beyond its borders.” The Brigitte Bardot Foundation lauded Delon as “an exceptional man, an unforgettable artist, and a great friend of animals,” noting that he was a close friend of Brigitte Bardot, who expressed profound sorrow over his death.
French film producer Alain Terzian referred to Delon as “the last of the giants” and remarked that his presence commanded “a kind of almost mystical, quasi-religious respect.”
Born on November 8, 1935, in Sceaux, south of Paris, Delon was placed in foster care following his parents’ separation. At 17, he joined the navy and served in Indochina before returning to France in 1956. He worked various jobs, from waiter to market carrier, before turning to acting.
Delon’s personal life included a son, Anthony, in 1964 with then-wife Nathalie Canovas, co-star of Jean-Pierre Melville’s “The Samurai” in 1967. He had two more children, Anouchka and Alain-Fabien, with Rosalie van Breemen. He was also widely believed to be the father of Ari Boulogne, though he never publicly acknowledged paternity.
Delon once humorously professed his strengths in a 1995 interview with L’Express, saying, “I am very good at three things: my job, foolishness, and children.”
A man of many pursuits, Delon owned a stable of trotting horses, developed a line of colognes and accessories, and collected art. Although he announced his retirement in 1999, he continued to appear sporadically in films and television police dramas.
In a 2002 interview, Delon attributed his prolonged career to his enduring looks, quipping, “You’ll never see me old and ugly because I’ll leave before, or I’ll die.” His pride in his career was evident in 2019, when he stated at a Cannes gala honoring him, “One thing I’m sure about is that if there’s something I’m proud of, really, the only thing, it’s my career.”
