Alain Delon, the French actor who became a screen icon in Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Samourai, has died aged 88.
Delon died “peacefully in his home in Douchy, surrounded by his three children and his family”, according to a statement released to the AFP news agency by his family.
As well as his famous role as professional hitman Jef Costello in Le Samourai, Delon collaborated with Melville in 1970 heist The Red Circle and 1975 crime thriller Flic Story.
Delon’s career began after he was spotted at Cannes Film Festival in 1957 by US talent agent Henry Willson, recruiting on behalf of David O. Selznick.
After training at Italy’s Cinecitta studios in the late 1950s, he played the lead in 1959 French-Italian comedy Weak Women; then broke out to international audiences playing the conniving Tom Ripley in Rene Clement’s Plein Soleil, an adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s novel The Talented Mr Ripley.
Delon regularly worked with Italian filmmakers, including Luchino Visconti in 1960’s Rocco and His Brothers and 1963 historical drama The Leopard. After working in Hollywood for two years in the mid-1960s, he returned to Europe for Le Samourai and films such as Jacques Deray’s The Swimming Pool, starring alongside his former partner Romy Schneider.
His films in the 1970s included playing the title role in Italian-French feature Zorro.
While his rich filmography includes some 100 features, including several that he also produced, Delon won only one French Cesar, for Bertrand Blier’s 1984 romance Our Story.
In addition to his auteur roles, he also starred in more popular French commercial fare like 2008´s box office hit Asterix at the Olympic Games. His last film before retirement was Michel Denisot’s comedy Disclaimer [French title: Toute Ressemblance] released in 2019.
Delon’s career slowed down throughout the 1990s, and he worked only sporadically in the 21st century. He was awarded an honorary Golden Bear by the Berlinale in 1995 and honorary Palme d’Or by Cannes Film Festival in 2019. Delon had been in poor health in recent years, including a stroke in 2019 from which he never completely recovered. Public feuding among his family has since been making headlines in France.
The actor’s personal life was the subject of regular interest and speculation. He was married once, to French actress Nathalie Barthelemy from 1964 to 1969; and had several high-profile relationships, including to model and actress Mireille Darc from 1968 to 1983. Delon had three children: Anthony, with Barthelemy; and Anouchka and Alain-Fabien, with Dutch model Rosalie van Breemen.
Reactions from senior figures in French society have been coming in today. French president Emmanuel Macron called the actor ‘a French monument’ in a statement on X [former Twitter] on Sunday, writing, “From Monsieur Klein to Rocco, Le Guepard to Le Samourai, Alain Delon has played legendary roles and made the world dream. Lending his unforgettable face to turn our lives upside down.”
“‘We thought he was immortal for having had so many lives, for having played so many roles - cop, hoodlum, unforgettable Tancrède, moving Monsieur Klein,” said French cultural minister Rachida Dati. “His talent, charisma and aura made him a prime candidate for a career in Hollywood, but he chose France.”
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