Alain Delon, the internationally celebrated French actor renowned for his portrayals of both antagonists and law enforcers, passed away at the age of 88, French media reported.
Delon, with his striking looks and tender demeanor, seamlessly combined toughness with a vulnerable quality, making him one of France’s most unforgettable leading men. His career extended beyond acting; he was also a successful producer, theater performer, and, in his later years, a star in television movies.
French President Emmanuel Macron described Delon on social media platform X as “a French monument,” adding that Delon’s legendary roles made the world dream. “Melancholic, popular, secretive, he was more than a star,” Macron wrote.
Delon’s children announced his death on Sunday through a statement to Agence France-Presse, a common practice in France. This announcement prompted an outpouring of tributes on social media, while leading French media outlets shifted to extensive coverage of Delon’s prolific career. Earlier in the year, Delon’s son Anthony had revealed that his father had been diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma, a type of cancer. Delon’s deteriorating health had also been the subject of a family dispute over his care, resulting in heated exchanges among his three children in the media.
During the height of his career in the 1960s and 1970s, Delon was a sought-after actor by some of the world’s top directors, including Luchino Visconti and Joseph Losey. However, Delon later expressed disillusionment with the movie industry, lamenting in a 2003 edition of Le Nouvel Observateur that money and television had destroyed what he called “the dream machine.”
Despite his disenchantment, Delon continued working in television movies well into his 70s. He first garnered acclaim in the 1960 film “Plein Soleil,” directed by René Clément, where he played a murderer taking on the identities of his victims. He worked on several Italian films, most notably Visconti’s “Rocco and His Brothers” (1961), a film that won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival. Delon starred in the Palme d’Or-winning “Le Guepard” (The Leopard) in 1963, another Visconti film. His filmography also includes Clément’s “Is Paris Burning” and Losey’s “The Assassination of Trotsky” (1972).
In 1968, Delon began producing films, a venture that saw him produce 26 movies by 1990. His confidence and charisma were representative of his approach to both his personal and professional life. He continued to captivate audiences for years, although his candid comments at times stirred controversy. In 2010, he appeared in “Un mari de trop” (“One Husband Too Many”) and made a stage return in 2011 with “An Ordinary Day,” performing alongside his daughter Anouchka. He also briefly served as president of the Miss France jury but stepped down in 2013 following backlash over controversial statements about women, LGBTQIA+ rights, and migrants. Nevertheless, Delon received a Palme d’Honneur at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, further igniting debates about his legacy.
The Cannes Film Festival expressed its sadness over Delon’s passing, stating that he “embodied French cinema far beyond its borders.” The Brigitte Bardot Foundation, an animal protection organization, hailed Delon as “an exceptional man, an unforgettable artist and a great friend of animals,” noting that he was a close friend of French film legend Brigitte Bardot.
French film producer Alain Terzian referred to Delon as “the last of the giants,” remarking on a radio program that “every time he arrived somewhere … there was a kind of almost mystical, quasi-religious respect. He was fascinating.”
Born on November 8, 1935, in Sceaux, south of Paris, Delon was placed with a foster family after his parents separated when he was 4. He attended a Roman Catholic boarding school and later joined the navy at 17, serving in Indochina. Upon returning to France in 1956, he took on various odd jobs before finding his calling in acting.
Delon had three children: Anthony, born in 1964 with his then-wife Nathalie Canovas; and Anouchka and Alain-Fabien, with his later companion Rosalie van Breemen. He was also believed to be the father of Ari Boulogne, though he never publicly acknowledged this. Delon diversified his career, dabbling in horse racing and launching lines of cologne, watches, glasses, and other accessories. He also amassed collections of paintings and sculptures.
Though Delon announced his retirement from acting in 1999, he continued to take on roles, notably appearing in Bertrand Blier’s “Les Acteurs” (The Actors) that same year and in various television police shows afterward. His good looks endured, and even as he approached 70, he maintained, “You’ll never see me old and ugly … because I’ll leave before, or I’ll die.”
During a 2019 gala event at the Cannes Film Festival, Delon reflected on his life with pride, stating, “One thing I’m sure about is that if there’s something I’m proud of, really, the only thing, it’s my career.”
