August 18th, 2024

French screen star Alain Delon dies aged 88

Alain Delon, the iconic French actor known for classic films, passed away at 88, surrounded by family. His career spanned decades, marked by significant contributions to French cinema.

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French screen star Alain Delon dies aged 88

Alain Delon, the renowned French actor known for his roles in classic films such as "Plein Soleil," "Le Samouraï," and "Rocco and His Brothers," has passed away at the age of 88. His children announced his death, stating he died peacefully at home in Douchy, surrounded by family. Delon was a prominent figure in French cinema during the 1960s, often portraying complex characters like cops and hitmen, and worked with esteemed directors including Jean-Pierre Melville and Luchino Visconti. Born in 1935 in Sceaux, Delon had a tumultuous early life, leaving school at 14 and serving in the navy before entering acting. He gained fame quickly, becoming a major star with films that showcased his striking looks and talent. Despite attempts to break into Hollywood, he found greater success in French cinema, particularly in crime dramas. Delon's career spanned several decades, during which he also produced films and directed. He experienced a complicated personal life, marked by high-profile relationships and family dynamics. Although he announced his retirement in the 1990s, he made a return to acting in 2008. His legacy as a cinematic icon remains significant in the film industry.

- Alain Delon died at the age of 88, surrounded by family.

- He was a major star in French cinema, known for roles in iconic films.

- Delon attempted to break into Hollywood but found more success in France.

- His career included acting, producing, and directing over several decades.

- He had a complex personal life with multiple relationships and children.

Link Icon 17 comments
By @keiferski - 5 months
If you're wondering who this was: in the English-speaking world, he's probably most famous for Le Samourai, which was a great film and an influence on a host of other works, most recently being Drive. I really enjoyed Un flic too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuhPR3xeJm0

By @HNDen21 - 5 months
First movie I saw with him was Borsalino... Jean-Paul Belmondo was in it as well

It's been a while, I should rewatch it

By @TacticalCoder - 5 months
My favorite picture of him, with another iconic french star of the same era, Brigitte Bardot:

https://www.entrevue.fr/de/brigitte-bardot-exprime-son-inqui...

By @082349872349872 - 5 months
By @ofrzeta - 5 months
Something missing from the obituaries is a funny trivia story about the guns they found at Delon's home in February 2024. 72 guns, 3000 rounds of ammo and no permit. He even had his own gun range. The lack of a permit didn't seem to be a problem until he was 88 and in need of a nurse.
By @cryptica - 5 months
It's interesting how celebrity culture works that most Americans have probably never heard of this guy.

French people know essentially every American movie star but there is almost no culture flow in the other direction when it comes to film.

Some might suggest that there is a language barrier since French is not as widely spoken as English internationally... Yet I was surprised to find out that, for example, a lot of Russians above a certain age know about French film celebrities. The language barrier does not seem to have been a problem in that case.

I think maybe it's partly because most Americans will refuse to watch films with subtitles whereas people in most other countries who don't speak English are used to it.

By @rawgabbit - 5 months
I remember him for this song he made with Dalida. His deep voice is something I wished I had. https://youtu.be/_ifJapuqYiU
By @arunix - 5 months
I only knew of him from Zorro (1975) [1], and I remember that mainly due to the whacky soundtrack [2]

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zorro_(1975_Italian_film)

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LBqP75axK8

By @29athrowaway - 5 months
The movie "Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai" was inspired in the film "Le Samuraï".
By @grugagag - 5 months
Oh wow. I did watch some of his movies in the 80s, they were pretty good. But for some reason I assumed he had died a while ago.
By @cferry - 5 months
Il vous en prie.
By @nxobject - 5 months
Oddly enough, I know him because he had a formal button up and slacks clothes line named after him.
By @BeefLett - 5 months
He was a great actor but also a conservativ bigot, let's not mourn him.
By @port19 - 5 months
PSL god and serial mogger, as the kids say