The actor was facing cognitive degeneration after a stroke in 2019 and was confined to his home
This Sunday (18.08), French actor Alain Delon died at the age of 88. The information was confirmed by the actor’s family. He passed away at his residence in Douchy-Montcorbon, in the Val de Loire region, France. So far, the cause of death has not been released.
An icon and absolute success in the history of world cinema, Alain Deon captured the hearts of thousands of fans playing iconic roles, such as assassins, bandits and killers from the heyday of cinema in the post-war period.
In a statement released by his children to the international press, the actor’s death was declared. «Alain Fabien, Anouchka, Anthony and [his dog] Loubo deeply mourn the passing of their father. He died peacefully at his home in Douchy, surrounded by his three children and his family. The family asks that their privacy be respected at this extremely painful time of mourning,» the official statement read.
Giant of French culture
According to experts, the title of giant is due to the fact that the actor always played memorable characters that won a special place in the hearts of his fans. Delon starred in film classics such as Plein soleil ( 1960), Rocco and His Brothers ( 1960 ) and The Leopard ( 1 Gattopardo, 1963 ). Despite his success in his country, the actor did not have the same popularity in the halls of Hollywood.
In May 2019, Alain Delon made his final public appearance to receive an honorary Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. After suffering a stroke that year, the actor began living in seclusion on his estate. At the time, his family even stated that Delon had expressed his desire to undergo assisted suicide.
On the road to stardom
Before he became famous, Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon was born on November 8, 1935, in Sceaux, Hauts-de-Seine, France, and began working as an apprentice butcher alongside his father.
In 1953, he enlisted as a Marine and was sent on a mission to Southeast Asia. After being discharged from military service in 1955, Alain Delon began to do various temporary jobs and, due to these professional contacts, he became friends with film actors. In 1957, he attended the Cannes Film Festival for the first time. During the awards ceremony, Delon caught the attention of American producer David Selznick. At the time, the professional offered him a contract on the condition that he learn English in order to work. However, it was at the proposal of French director Yves Allégret that Delon decided to pursue a career in France.
Living the peak of his career in the 1960s and 1970s, Alain Delon starred in more than 80 productions and is among the canonical films in the history of cinema, such as Citizen Klein ( Mr. Klein, 1976 ), The Eclipse, ( L’eclisse, 1962 ) among others. Throughout his meteoric career, he worked with famous filmmakers such as Louis Malle, Michelangelo Antonioni, Jean-Luc Godard, Jean-Pierre Melville, Luchino Visconti, René Clément and Jacques Deray.
«I never dreamed of this career, it just happened. I wasn’t made to be Alain Delon. I should have died a long time ago. It’s called destiny,» Alain Delon said in a special edition of the weekly magazine Paris-Match dedicated to the actor in 2018. Interestingly, he sometimes spoke of himself in the third person. A language defect that marked, in his opinion, the boundary between the actor and the individual Alain Delon.
The actor has also been involved in some controversies in the eyes of the media. In February of this year, the French police seized 72 firearms and more than 3,000 rounds of ammunition at the home of the actor who, according to the G1 portal, did not have any type of license to carry war material.
Assisted suicide
Due to his health condition in recent times, in which he suffered from a serious case of cognitive degeneration, the actor has been involved in a controversy over assisted suicide. At the end of March this year, Alain Delon’s official Instagram profile published a note that was interpreted as a farewell message to fans and followers. «I would like to thank everyone who has followed me over the years and given me great support. I hope that future actors can see me as an example, not only at work, but in everyday life, with their victories and defeats. Thank you, Alain Delon,» read the caption of the post.
Shortly after, the account was deleted from the social network. The actor, who suffered a stroke in 2019, had already mentioned the possibility of assisted suicide several times, especially after witnessing the suffering of his wife Nathalie Delon. She also intended to undergo the procedure, but died in 2021 due to pancreatic cancer.
Commotion
The death of Alain Delon sparked a series of protests on social media. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his condolences to the actor. “Alain Delon played legendary roles and made the world dream. Lending his unforgettable face to shake up our lives. Melancholic, popular, reserved, he was more than a star: he was a French monument,” the politician wrote on his official X profile (formerly Twitter).