The quintessential actor—Alain Delon—known for making an unforgettable performance in the film Rocco and His Brothers in 1960, and in Purple Noon that same year, passed away on August 18, 2024, at the age of 88. Death brings the curtain down on an epoch of cinema in France during which his magnetism and handsome looks propelled him to the heights of an international sex symbol and one of the most endearing actors of all time. His family confirmed that he died in his home in Douchy-Montcorbon, France, close to a storied career and tumultuous personal life.
Early Life and Struggles: A Tumultuous Beginning
Alain Delon was born on November 8, 1935, in Sceaux, France. His childhood was very rough. When he was barely four, his parents broke up; and after that, he went through several foster families and boarding schools. Evidently, such an unstable upbringing helped to shape a really tough and rebellious character within Delon himself, who would soon be christened with his screen image.
At 17, Delon enlisted in the French Navy and was an active participant in the First Indochina War. But when he returned to France in 1956, he didn’t know what to do next. In 1957, a trip to the Cannes Film Festival made all the difference. That’s where he was discovered by a Hollywood talent scout who told him he ought to be an actor. Though initially drawn to the allure and mystique of Hollywood, a fortuitous encounter with French director Yves Allégret persuaded Delon to remain in France and start working as an actor.
Stardom: A Cinematic Breakthrough
One of Delon’s earliest film appearances was in Allégret’s 1957 movie, Quand la femme s’en mêle. It was, however, his performance in Plein Soleil from 1960, where he played the cunning con man Tom Ripley that he was embraced into the circle of international stardom. Delon’s icily beautiful portrayal of suave, charismatic Ripley filled with charm and danger, got him accolades and solidified his leading-man stature in the French firmament.
That year also saw Delon’s role in Rocco and His Brothers by Luchino Visconti. It was a movie in which Delon played Rocco, the tender, loyal brother who had to fight with chaos in his family life. The New York Times noted that Delon was “touchingly pliant and expressive,” and his performance only cemented his status as one of the dominating figures in the film world.
La Piscine and More Iconic Roles
Delon was able to continue working with Luchino Visconti by playing in Il gattopardo or The Leopard (1963), which was also an awards-winning picture and made him one of the biggest stars of French cinema. His performance in this epic historical drama opposite Burt Lancaster is another brilliant play on highly charged emotional screen portrayals.
It was not until the mid-1960s that Delon truly started to break into Hollywood, with the films The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1965), putting him on par with Shirley MacLaine, and Once a Thief (1965), with Ann-Margret, whom he was dating at that time. However, his thick French accent limited his Hollywood career, often relegating him to roles as the EU lover-of-the-heroine type. Disenchanted with these typecast roles, he decided to reorient his career towards French and European cinema, where he would have much greater artistic freedom.
A Career Full of Masterpieces: From Le Samouraï to La Piscine
Most of Delon’s iconic works lie in the filmography of the late 1960s and the 1970s. His starring role in 1967’s Le Samouraï by Jean-Pierre Melville is generally considered a peak of his career. Delon playing a cold-blooded, cool, and detached hitman character named Jef Costello has since become an iconic film role. His natural charisma mixed with a feeling of enigmatic aloofness.
Other important roles followed in movies such as Farewell Friend (1968), La Piscine (1969), Le Cercle Rouge in 1970, and Zorro in 1975. All of them defined a lot about Delon’s lasting mark and showed his versatility as an actor in different genres ranging from psychological thrillers to romantic dramas. In 2021, The New York Times noted his performance in La Piscine as a movie that kept “every iota of his ultra-sultriness” even into his later years.
Personal Life and Controversies of a Star
Delon made sure to be present in the gossip columns with his series of romances and scandals. One of the first was that with actress Romy Schneider, his Christine (1958) co-star. The couple broke up as Delon started meeting with other women, but he declared that Romy Schneider, who passed away in 1982, was the love of his life.
In 1961, Delon had an affair with the German actress and singer Nico, and their relationship yielded a son, Christian Aaron Boulogne. Delon never acknowledged the paternity of the child, cutting off any connections with his mother. This resulted in legal proceedings and more media disgust. In 1964, marriage to Nathalie Barthélémy, Delon had one son, Anthony Delon, before their 1969 divorce due to Delon’s significant infidelities.
In the late 1960s, Delon was also implicated in the murder investigation of his friend and bodyguard, Stevan Marković. Although he was never charged, the incident added to the air of mystery and controversy that surrounded his life.
Later Years and Legacy: A Career Remembered
It wasn’t until his later years that he was involved with some notable projects; he appeared in the 2002 miniseries Fabio Montale and in the series Frank Riva in 2003. He also briefly attempted a career in music; in 1973, he recorded a duet entitled “Paroles, paroles” with French singer Dalida.
In 2019, Delon was awarded the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for lifetime achievement in cinema. While the award stirred some to anger over what they saw as problematic presentation of the honor because of Delon’s previous remarks and politics, the star took the by-now-symbolic award in stride and with much pride and thankfulness: “There is one thing in the world that I’m truly proud of, the only thing: It’s my career.”
Conclusion: Curtains Close
Life for Alain Delon was one with huge highs and tumultuous lows, and his six-decade career has more than irrevocably formed French as well as international cinema. Though his personal life mostly remained in scandal and controversy, he never could taint the enduring quality of his works. Delon is dead at the age of 88, and an era of cinema will not find its other everlasting cinematic god for a long, long time.
