Actor Alain Delon, one of the great symbols of French cinema, a “sacred monster” as the press in his country calls him, died this Sunday at the age of 88, according to his children and reported by the French agency AFP.
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“Alain Fabien, Anouchka, Anthony and (his dog) Loubo are deeply saddened to announce the passing of their father,” his children said in a statement. “He passed away peacefully at his home in Douchy, surrounded by his three children and his family,” they added.
Delon was seriously ill. He was suffering from the after-effects of a stroke and had been diagnosed with lymphoma. In April it became known that he had been subjected to a forced guardianship, requested by his eldest son, Anthony Delon, 59, which his lawyer publicly opposed. And a war between his sons on the one hand and his daughter on the other was evident through statements and courts. At Christmas, they published a much-discussed photograph with the whole family together.
The Visconti icon
Alain Delon starred in his first feature film in 1957, at the age of 23. From there, he racked up roles in 88 films, seven television movies, and seven plays. Despite becoming an icon, he received only one César Award from French cinematography, for Best Actor for Our history, by Bertrand Blier.
His roles in The Leopard y Rocco and his brothers, Luchino Visconti’s ambas or In full sun by René Clément. But he also got on the other side of the camera and directed two feature films and produced 32 titles. He made several shoots in Spain, such as The Black Tulip, The Fox o Lost control.
He did receive a lifetime achievement award at Cannes in 2019, which he himself called a “posthumous tribute” and which he used to say goodbye with words of gratitude and a firm defense of the film audience. “They are the ones who make stars,” he said. Of his children, only his daughter Anouchka was present at the ceremony. That same year, the actor suffered a stroke.
His romantic life also made him a legend. He fell in love with Romy Schneider in 1958, whom he revealed after his death that she had been the great love of his life, although they were only together for four years.
His son Anthony, who also became an actor, was born with actress and filmmaker Nathalie Delon. He had his other two children with Dutch communicator and former model Rosalie van Breemen, whom he divorced in 2002 (and later married optics magnate Alain Afflelou), the model, writer and “aspiring actor” Alain Fabien and Anouchka. Photographer Ari Boulogne (who died in 2023), son of singer Nico, claimed paternity of Delon but was unable to obtain recognition and the actor always denied it, despite the resemblance.
The future as a charcutier that didn’t happen
Born in the town of Sceaux in 1935, his childhood was marked by the divorce of his parents when he was four years old and the fact that he was raised by an adoptive family. He began training to work as a butcher, but at the age of 17 he decided to do early military service and found himself involved in the war in Indochina.
On his return to France, he began to do some work and it was then that the actor Jean-Claude Brialy discovered him, in particular for his beauty, and took him to the Cannes Film Festival, where he received the first proposals. He made his debut with the director Yves Allégret in 1957 in When the woman gets involved.
