Three years ago, the world said goodbye to the legend of French cinema, which was undoubtedly Jean-Paul Belmondo, whose life story is like a movie screen. From boxing rings, through dramatic escapes from the army, to the peak of fame in the world of cinema. However, his personal tragedies and health problems never stopped his professional passion. In the Czech Republic, his spirit received a surprising successor in the form of actor Martin Kraus. He does not hide his admiration for Belmond, although he considers the comparison with the icon to be exaggerated.
Jean-Paul Belmondo, an icon of French cinema, was born on April 9, 1933 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, into a family where art was not a foreign word. his dad Paul Belmondo, was a well-known sculptor, which provided the young Jean-Paul with an artistic background from the cradle. Although in his youth Belmondo embarked on the path of a professional boxer, fate ultimately dealt him the cards differently. He ended up on a stage where words spoke instead of fists, at the Conservatory of Dramatic Art.
The secret of the iconic nose
In boxing, he recorded five victories from nine fights. His boxing career was rather episodic and not very dazzling. And that famous nose of his? Many think it is a souvenir from boxing rings, but the opposite is true. His nose was broken by an older classmate during a school fight. He traded boxing rings for movie screens, but before he got there, he faced a number of obstacles. His youthful boxing ambitions were abruptly cut short by tuberculosis and subsequent military service in North Africa, where Belmondo attempted a dramatic escape from the army by self-mutilation.
During his studies, Belmondo constantly clashed with the authorities, which caused him serious academic troubles. One day, one of his professors even scolded him for his unconventional appearance he has no chance to break through not even on stage, let alone in a movie. However, Belmondo swept his way to fame with his iconic role in Out of Breath (1960), opposite American beauty Jean Seberg.
His career then took off, and Belmondo began starring in commercially successful films that brought his name even higher. In the 1970s and 1980s, Belmondo literally excelled in action and comedy films that became hits all over the world. Who does not know Borsalino (1970) or Happy Easter (1984)?
Happy Easter, PHOTO: © NBC Universal, distr. Czech television
Jean-Paul Belmondo and a life full of obstacles
The personal life of the legendary actor was affected by a tragedy that he never fully mastered. In 1994 he lost his beloved daughter Patricia. This loss struck him to the very heart, and the shadow of grief followed him throughout his life. When it seemed that things couldn’t get any worse, he suffered a heart attack in 1999, followed by a stroke in 2001, which severely limited his ability to continue his public appearances and acting career.
His last film honor was a role in A man and his dog from 2008. In the Czech environment, viewers could meet him thanks to the voices Jan Třísky and later Jiří Krampolwho lent him their voice and brought his charisma closer to Czech fans.
Jean-Paul Belmondo in 2019, PHOTO: Profimedia
Jean-Paul Belmondo, icon of French and world cinema, he left us September 6, 2021. “He had been very tired for some time. He left in silence,” stated pro AFP the actor’s lawyer Michel Goodest. Jean-Paul stated shortly before his death that he was not afraid of this moment. He optimistically stated that his life had been full of happiness and the best was yet to come. He shared these words in 2018 during an interview with the newspaper Corse-Matin. In addition, he let it be known that he is looking forward to the reunion with his fellow actors, Jean Rochefort a Philippem Noiretem“up there”.
Double of the French legend
In the Czech Republic, Belmondo has its “copy”, an actor Martina Krause. “Honestly, I’m a huge fan of Belmond. Even though he is unfortunately no longer alive, I still love him very much, I respect him and it is true that I started watching him in elementary school. I know all his movies. So if I take it as his fan, I’m more offended that someone even dares to say that I’m a Czech Belmondo, that’s stupid. But as an actor Martin Kraus, of course, it flatters me,” told Kraus for denik.cz
In the movie Happy Easter you can remember it on Monday, April 1 on ČT2 from 8:00 p.m.
Source: denik.cz, blesk.cz, ceskozive.cz, csfd.cz, lifee.cz
