CNN — Alain Delon, the iconic French actor, producer, and writer renowned for his striking and enigmatic presence, has passed away at the age of 88.
According to a statement released to AFP, Delon died peacefully at his home in Douchy, surrounded by his three children and family. In recent years, he had been struggling with health issues.
Born in Sceaux, a suburb of Paris, Delon’s early life was marked by challenges. His parents’ divorce and frequent school expulsions led him to join the French Marines in Indochina. Afterward, he worked various jobs in Paris before launching his acting career.
Delon made his film debut in 1957, playing a hitman in the thriller “Quand la femme s’en mêle,” known as “Send a Woman When the Devil Fails” in English.
This role was the start of many anti-hero characters for Delon. He became a significant figure in European cinema during the 1960s, collaborating with renowned directors such as René Clément (“Plein Soleil,” 1960, also known as “Purple Noon” in the U.S.), Luchino Visconti (“Rocco and His Brothers,” 1960, and “The Leopard,” 1963), and Jean-Pierre Melville (“Le Samouraï,” 1967).
In 1968, Delon was involved in the Markovic affair, a scandal involving sex, drugs, and murder among French high society. Although questioned, he was never charged.
Delon also worked in English-language films, including “The Yellow Rolls-Royce” (1964) and Westerns like “Texas Across the River” (1966) and “Red Sun” (1971). However, he did not achieve the same level of success in these films as he did in European cinema.
In 1985, Delon won a César Award, France’s equivalent of the Oscar, for Best Actor for his role in Bertrand Blier’s “Our Story.” He was also nominated for a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Tancredi in “The Leopard.”
Though his prominence waned in later years, Delon returned to television in the early 2000s, starring as veteran detectives in the miniseries “Fabio Montale” (2002) and “Frank Riva” (2003-04).
In 2005, Delon was honored as an Officer of the French Legion of Honor for his contributions to world cinema.
Delon was married to actress and model Nathalie Delon from 1964 to 1969, with whom he had a son, Anthony. He also had three other children: a son, Christian Boulogne, with singer and actress Nico, and two children, Anouchka Delon and Alain-Fabien Delon, with Dutch actress Rosalie van Breemen.