Alain Delon obit

Alain Delon, French movie legend, dies at 88

 He was not on the list.

Alain Delon, the French actor, producer and writer whose cool, enigmatic beauty made him an international sex symbol, has died at the age of 88.

“He passed away peacefully in his home in Douchy, surrounded by his three children and his family,” a family statement released to the AFP news agency said. Delon had been battling poor health in recent years and suffered a stroke in 2019.

French President Emmanuel Macron led tributes to the actor. “Melancholic, popular, secretive, he was more than a star: a French monument,” Macron said.

Delon will be remembered as an icon of French and European cinema, who worked with a host of celebrated directors. But he has been criticized for his controversial political views and attitude towards women. Feminists were aghast when he was awarded an honorary Palme d’Or late in his life.

Born in Sceaux, a suburb south of Paris, Delon had a turbulent childhood marked by his parents’ divorce and frequent expulsions from school, before serving in the French Navy and later taking on odd jobs in Paris.

He made his first appearance on film in 1957, playing a hitman in the thriller “Quand la femme s’en mêle,” titled “Send a Woman When the Devil Fails” in English.

This was to be the first of many anti-hero roles for Delon, who went on to become a major figure in European film in the 1960s, working with such lauded directors as René Clément (“Plein Soleil,” 1960, titled “Purple Noon” in the United States), Luchino Visconti (“Rocco and his Brothers,” 1960, and “The Leopard,” 1963) and Jean-Pierre Melville (“Le Samouraï,” 1967).

In 1968, Delon was caught up in a sex, drug and murder scandal involving French high society, known as the Markovic affair. He was questioned but never charged.

He also appeared in many English-language productions, including anthology movie “The Yellow Rolls-Royce” (1964) and Westerns “Texas Across the River” (1966), and “Red Sun” (1971), but he failed to replicate the success he enjoyed in European cinema.

Delon won a César Award, France’s equivalent of an Oscar, for best actor in 1985 for his role as an alcoholic in Bertrand Blier’s “Our Story.” He was also nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance as the passionate, penniless Tancredi in “The Leopard.”

In 1990, he starred as hitchhiker Lennox in ambitious drama “Nouvelle vague” (“New Wave”) directed by Jean-Luc Godard.

His star faded in his later years, but he reappeared on television around the turn of the century, playing veteran detectives in two miniseries: “Fabio Montale” (2002) and “Frank Riva” (2003-04).

In 2005, Delon was made an Officer in the French Legion of Honor for his contribution to world cinema.

Family feud and controversy

Delon’s last major public appearance was when he received a career-honoring Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019. Women’s rights groups critized the move, citing past statements from the actor in which he admitted slapping women. A petition asking not to honor him collected more than 25,000 signatures.

He was married to actress and model Nathalie Delon from 1964 to 1969 and the couple had one child, Anthony.

Delon had three other children: a son, Christian Boulogne, with singer and actress Nico, and Anouchka Delon and Alain-Fabien Delon with Dutch actress Rosalie van Breemen.

A polarizing figure, Delon had been criticized for his close relationship with Jean-Marie Le Pen, the figurehead of France’s far-right National Front party, with who he said he had “a 50-year friendship,” according to BFMTV.

He had also said he regretted the abolition of the death penalty, according to Reuters, and spoke out against same-sex marriage and the right for gay couples to adopt children.

As Delon’s health declined, his children became embroiled in a public dispute over their father’s health and care.

Anthony and Alain-Fabien had accused Anouchka of hiding Delon’s state of health from them and manipulating the actor, according to CNN affiliate BFMTV.

This followed a court battle in 2023 in which Delon’s children filed complaints against Hiromi Rollin, a close companion of the actor who had presented herself as his partner, for violence, harrassment and abuse, including against their father, according to the French news broadcaster.

Rollin, in return, filed a complaint against Delon’s children upon being evicted from his property in Douchy in northern central France, accusing them of gang violence and theft. All the ccomplaints were dismissed, according to BFMTV.

Actor

Disclaimer (2019)

Disclaimer

4.4

Alain Delon

2019

 

Alain Delon and Pavel Volya in S Novym godom, mamy! (2012)

S Novym godom, mamy!

6.3

Alain Delon

2012

 

Une journée ordinaire (2011)

Une journée ordinaire

6.9

TV Movie

Julien

2011

 

Alain Delon, Philippe Bas, Alexandre Varga, and Lorie Pester in One Husband Too Many (2010)

One Husband Too Many

5.8

TV Movie

Maxime de Rougemont

2010

 

Love Letters (2008)

Love Letters

7.4

TV Movie

Thomas

2008

 

Gérard Depardieu, Alain Delon, Clovis Cornillac, Benoît Poelvoorde, and Vanessa Hessler in Asterix at the Olympic Games (2008)

Asterix at the Olympic Games

5.2

Jules César

2008

 

Sur la route de Madison (2007)

Sur la route de Madison

7.6

TV Movie

2007

 

Les montagnes russes (2005)

Les montagnes russes

6.6

TV Movie

2005

 

Frank Riva (2003)

Frank Riva

6.5

TV Series

Frank Riva

2003–2004

6 episodes

 

Le lion (2003)

Le lion

5.2

TV Movie

John Bullit

2003

 

Fabio Montale (2001)

Fabio Montale

6.9

TV Mini Series

Fabio Montale

2002

3 episodes

 

Les acteurs (2000)

Les acteurs

5.8

Alain Delon

2000

 

Omnitel: Summer Card

Video

Model

1999

 

Half a Chance (1998)

Half a Chance

5.8

Julien Vignal

1998

 

Day and Night (1997)

Day and Night

1.9

Alexandre

1997

 

Variations énigmatiques

TV Movie

Abel Znorko

1996

 

Michel Piccoli in One Hundred and One Nights (1995)

One Hundred and One Nights

6.5

Alain Delon, en visite

1995

 

Alain Delon and Francesca Dellera in The Teddy Bear (1994)

The Teddy Bear

5.2

Jean Rivière

1994

 

Un crime (1993)

Un crime

5.4

Maître Charles Dunand

1993

 

Alain Delon, Fabrice Luchini, and Elsa Lunghini in The Return of Casanova (1992)

The Return of Casanova

5.8

Casanova

1992

 

Dancing Machine (1990)

Dancing Machine

4.0

Alan Wolf

1990

 

New Wave (1990)

New Wave

6.5

Lui

Roger Lennox

Richard Lennox

1990

 

Cinéma (1988)

Cinéma

6.8

TV Mini Series

Julien Manda

1988

3 episodes

 

Ne réveillez pas un flic qui dort (1988)

Ne réveillez pas un flic qui dort

5.5

Eugéne Grindel

1988

 

Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam (1987)

Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam

7.9

TV Movie

Récitant

Narrator (voice)

1987

 

Comme au cinéma

Short

Alain Delon

1987

 

The Passage (1986)

The Passage

4.7

Jean Diaz

1986

 

Alain Delon in Parole de flic (1985)

Parole de flic

5.6

Daniel Pratt

1985

 

Nathalie Baye and Alain Delon in Our History (1984)

Our History

6.4

Robert Avranche

1984

 

Jeremy Irons, Alain Delon, and Ornella Muti in Swann in Love (1984)

Swann in Love

6.5

Baron de Charlus

1984

 

Alain Delon in Le battant (1983)

Le battant

6.3

Jacques Darnay

1983

 

Catherine Deneuve and Alain Delon in Le choc (1982)

Le choc

5.7

Martin Terrier

Christian

1982

 

Alain Delon in To Kill a Cop (1981)

To Kill a Cop

6.4

Choucas

1981

 

Alain Delon, Natalya Belokhvostikova, Curd Jürgens, and Igor Kostolevskiy in Assassination Attempt (1981)

Assassination Attempt

6.7

Inspector Georges Foche

1981

 

Alain Delon in Three Men to Kill (1980)

Three Men to Kill

6.3

Michel Gerfaut

1980

 

Alain Delon and Véronique Jannot in The Medic (1979)

The Medic

5.2

Jean-Marie Desprée

1979

 

The Concorde... Airport '79 (1979)

The Concorde... Airport '79

4.5

Capt. Paul Metrand

1979

 

Alain Delon in Attention, les enfants regardent (1978)

Attention, les enfants regardent

6.5

L'homme

1978

 

Alain Delon and Annie Cordy in Le bel indifférent (1978)

Le bel indifférent

7.4

TV Movie

Émile

1978

 

Alain Delon, Ornella Muti, and Michel Aumont in Death of a Corrupt Man (1977)

Death of a Corrupt Man

6.8

Xavier 'Xav' Maréchal

1977

 

Alain Delon and Mireille Darc in L'homme pressé (1977)

L'homme pressé

6.4

Pierre Niox

1977

 

Armaguedon (1977)

Armaguedon

6.1

Dr. Michel Ambrose

1977

 

Le gang (1977)

Le gang

5.7

Robert, dit 'le dingue'

1977

 

Boomerang (1976)

Boomerang

6.1

Jacques Batkin

1976

 

Alain Delon in Mr. Klein (1976)

Mr. Klein

7.5

Robert Klein

1976

 

Le gitan (1975)

Le gitan

6.3

Hugo Sennart, Le Gitan

1975

 

Alain Delon and Jean-Louis Trintignant in Flic Story (1975)

Flic Story

6.9

Roger Borniche

1975

 

Zorro (1975)

Zorro

6.4

Don Diego

El Zorro

1975

 

Borsalino and Co. (1974)

Borsalino and Co.

6.3

Roch Siffredi

1974

 

Alain Delon, Mireille Darc, and Claude Brasseur in Someone Is Bleeding (1974)

Someone Is Bleeding

5.7

Marc Rilson

1974

 

Alain Delon, Jeanne Moreau, and Sydne Rome in Creezy (1974)

Creezy

5.8

Julien Dandieu

1974

 

Two Men in Town (1973)

Two Men in Town

7.3

Gino Strabliggi

1973

 

Alain Delon in No Way Out (1973)

No Way Out

6.7

Tony Arzenta

1973

 

Les granges brûlées (1973)

Les granges brûlées

6.6

Le juge Pierre Larcher

1973

 

Scorpio (1973)

Scorpio

6.4

Jean Laurier

1973

 

Alain Delon and Annie Girardot in Traitement de choc (1973)

Traitement de choc

6.1

Docteur Devilers

1973

 

Alain Delon in A Cop (1972)

A Cop

7.0

Commissaire Edouard Coleman

1972

 

Alain Delon and Sonia Petrovna in Indian Summer (1972)

Indian Summer

7.2

Daniele Dominici

1972

 

Richard Burton and Alain Delon in The Assassination of Trotsky (1972)

The Assassination of Trotsky

5.7

Frank Jackson

1972

 

Michel Constantin in Cops Is Cops (1972)

Cops Is Cops

6.2

L'homme qui cherche Rodriguez (uncredited)

1972

 

The Widow Couderc (1971)

The Widow Couderc

6.9

Jean Lavigne

1971

 

Ursula Andress, Charles Bronson, Alain Delon, and Toshirô Mifune in Red Sun (1971)

Red Sun

6.8

Gauche

1971

 

Easy Down There! (1971)

Easy Down There!

5.1

Simon Médieu

1971

 

Diamond Bikini (1971)

Diamond Bikini

4.3

Un caïd (uncredited)

1971

 

Crepa padrone, crepa tranquillo (1970)

Crepa padrone, crepa tranquillo

8.3

Mercenary

1970

 

The Love Mates (1970)

The Love Mates

5.4

Julien

1970

 

Alain Delon, Bourvil, and Yves Montand in The Red Circle (1970)

The Red Circle

7.9

Corey

1970

 

Jean-Paul Belmondo and Alain Delon in Borsalino (1970)

Borsalino

6.8

Roch Siffredi

1970

 

The Sicilian Clan (1969)

The Sicilian Clan

7.4

Roger Sartet

1969

 

Jeff (1969)

Jeff

5.8

Laurent

1969

 

Alain Delon, Romy Schneider, and Maurice Ronet in The Swimming Pool (1969)

The Swimming Pool

7.1

Jean-Paul

1969

 

Les yeux crevés

7.3

TV Movie

Gino

1968

 

Ho! (1968)

Ho!

6.1

L'homme à l'aéroport (uncredited)

1968

 

Charles Bronson and Alain Delon in Farewell, Friend (1968)

Farewell, Friend

6.7

Dino Barran

1968

 

The Girl on a Motorcycle (1968)

The Girl on a Motorcycle

5.3

Daniel

1968

 

Spirits of the Dead (1968)

Spirits of the Dead

6.4

William Wilson (segment "William Wilson")

1968

 

Senta Berger and Alain Delon in Diabolically Yours (1967)

Diabolically Yours

6.0

Pierre Lagrange

Georges Campo

1967

 

Alain Delon, Nathalie Delon, and François Périer in Le Samouraï (1967)

Le Samouraï

8.0

Jef Costello

1967

 

Alain Delon and Joanna Shimkus in The Last Adventure (1967)

The Last Adventure

7.0

Manu

1967

 

Alain Delon, Dean Martin, Joey Bishop, and Rosemary Forsyth in Texas Across the River (1966)

Texas Across the River

6.3

Don Andrea Baldasar

1966

 

Is Paris Burning? (1966)

Is Paris Burning?

6.8

Jacques Chaban-Delmas

1966

 

Anthony Quinn, Alain Delon, and Michèle Morgan in Lost Command (1966)

Lost Command

6.3

Captain Philippe Esclavier

1966

 

Love at Sea (1965)

Love at Sea

7.3

L'acteur du film

1965

 

Ann-Margret, Alain Delon, and Van Heflin in Once a Thief (1965)

Once a Thief

6.5

Eddie Pedak

1965

 

Le journal d'un combat

7.3

Short

Le narrateur (voice)

1964

 

Ingrid Bergman, Shirley MacLaine, Alain Delon, Rex Harrison, George C. Scott, Omar Sharif, and Jeanne Moreau in The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1964)

The Yellow Rolls-Royce

6.4

Stefano

1964

 

Alain Delon and Lea Massari in L'insoumis (1964)

L'insoumis

7.0

Thomas Vlassenroot

1964

 

Jane Fonda and Alain Delon in Joy House (1964)

Joy House

7.0

Marc Borel

1964

 

The Black Tulip (1964)

The Black Tulip

6.6

Julien de Saint Preux

Guillaume de Saint Preux

1964

 

Louis de Funès, Jean-Claude Brialy, and Michel Serrault in Carambolages (1963)

Carambolages

6.1

Lambert (uncredited)

1963

 

Any Number Can Win (1963)

Any Number Can Win

7.3

Francis Verlot

1963

 

Burt Lancaster, Claudia Cardinale, and Alain Delon in The Leopard (1963)

The Leopard

7.9

Tancredi Falconeri

1963

 

Louis de Funès, Alain Delon, Charles Aznavour, Françoise Arnoul, Jean-Claude Brialy, Danielle Darrieux, Fernandel, Micheline Presle, Michel Simon, and Lino Ventura in The Devil and the Ten Commandments (1962)

The Devil and the Ten Commandments

6.7

Pierre Messager - the son (segment "Tes père et mère honoreras")

1962

 

Redhead (1962)

Redhead

6.8

Passenger in Venice (uncredited)

1962

 

Alain Delon, Francisco Rabal, and Monica Vitti in L'Eclisse (1962)

L'Eclisse

7.7

Piero

1962

 

Alain Delon in Le chien (1962)

Le chien

6.3

TV Movie

Lui

1962

 

Dommage qu'elle soit une putain (1961)

Dommage qu'elle soit une putain

7.4

TV Movie

Giovanni

Brother

1961

 

Famous Love Affairs (1961)

Famous Love Affairs

5.1

Le prince Albert

Le duc Albert (segment "Agnès Bernauer")

1961

 

The Joy of Living (1961)

The Joy of Living

6.5

Ulysse Cecconato

1961

 

Claudia Cardinale, Alain Delon, Spyros Fokas, Annie Girardot, and Renato Salvatori in Rocco and His Brothers (1960)

Rocco and His Brothers

8.2

Rocco Parondi

1960

 

Alain Delon in Purple Noon (1960)

Purple Noon

7.7

Tom Ripley

1960

 

Le chemin des écoliers (1959)

Le chemin des écoliers

6.4

Antoine Michaud

1959

 

Three Murderesses (1959)

Three Murderesses

6.1

Julien Fenal

1959

 

Alain Delon and Romy Schneider in Christine (1958)

Christine

6.3

Franz Lobheiner

1958

 

Be Beautiful But Shut Up (1958)

Be Beautiful But Shut Up

5.8

Loulou

1958

 

Quand la femme s'en mêle (1957)

Quand la femme s'en mêle

5.9

Jo

1957

 

Alain Delon in Le rapt (1949)

Le rapt

5.5

Short

1949

 

Producer

Love Letters (2008)

Love Letters

7.4

TV Movie

co-producer

2008

 

Frank Riva (2003)

Frank Riva

6.5

TV Series

associate producer

2003–2004

5 episodes

 

Un crime (1993)

Un crime

5.4

executive producer

1993

 

Alain Delon, Fabrice Luchini, and Elsa Lunghini in The Return of Casanova (1992)

The Return of Casanova

5.8

executive producer

1992

 

Dancing Machine (1990)

Dancing Machine

4.0

producer

1990

 

Ne réveillez pas un flic qui dort (1988)

Ne réveillez pas un flic qui dort

5.5

producer

1988

 

Les pros

7.8

Short

producer

1986

 

The Passage (1986)

The Passage

4.7

producer

1986

 

Alain Delon in Parole de flic (1985)

Parole de flic

5.6

presentation producer

1985

 

Nathalie Baye and Alain Delon in Our History (1984)

Our History

6.4

producer

1984

 

Le jeune marié (1983)

Le jeune marié

5.5

producer

1983

 

Alain Delon in Le battant (1983)

Le battant

6.3

producer

1983

 

Alain Delon in To Kill a Cop (1981)

To Kill a Cop

6.4

producer

1981

 

Alain Delon in Three Men to Kill (1980)

Three Men to Kill

6.3

producer

1980

 

Alain Delon and Véronique Jannot in The Medic (1979)

The Medic

5.2

producer

1979

 

Power Play (1978)

Power Play

5.9

producer

1978

 

Alain Delon in Attention, les enfants regardent (1978)

Attention, les enfants regardent

6.5

producer

1978

 

Alain Delon, Ornella Muti, and Michel Aumont in Death of a Corrupt Man (1977)

Death of a Corrupt Man

6.8

producer

1977

 

Alain Delon and Mireille Darc in L'homme pressé (1977)

L'homme pressé

6.4

producer

1977

 

Armaguedon (1977)

Armaguedon

6.1

producer

1977

 

Le gang (1977)

Le gang

5.7

producer

1977

 

Boomerang (1976)

Boomerang

6.1

producer

1976

 

Alain Delon in Mr. Klein (1976)

Mr. Klein

7.5

producer

1976

 

Le gitan (1975)

Le gitan

6.3

producer

1975

 

Alain Delon and Jean-Louis Trintignant in Flic Story (1975)

Flic Story

6.9

producer

1975

 

Borsalino and Co. (1974)

Borsalino and Co.

6.3

producer

1974

 

Alain Delon, Mireille Darc, and Claude Brasseur in Someone Is Bleeding (1974)

Someone Is Bleeding

5.7

producer

1974

 

Two Men in Town (1973)

Two Men in Town

7.3

producer

1973

 

Alain Delon in No Way Out (1973)

No Way Out

6.7

producer (uncredited)

1973

 

L'uccello migratore (1972)

L'uccello migratore

5.7

co-producer

1972

 

La planète des hommes

Short

producer

1971

 

Easy Down There! (1971)

Easy Down There!

5.1

producer

1971

 

The Love Mates (1970)

The Love Mates

5.4

producer

1970

 

Sortie de secours (1970)

Sortie de secours

5.9

producer

1970

 

Jean-Paul Belmondo and Alain Delon in Borsalino (1970)

Borsalino

6.8

producer

1970

 

Jeff (1969)

Jeff

5.8

producer

1969

 

The Girl on a Motorcycle (1968)

The Girl on a Motorcycle

5.3

producer (uncredited)

1968

 

Le journal d'un combat

7.3

Short

producer

1964

 

Alain Delon and Lea Massari in L'insoumis (1964)

L'insoumis

7.0

producer

1964

 

Writer

Un crime (1993)

Un crime

5.4

writer

1993

 

Dancing Machine (1990)

Dancing Machine

4.0

Writer

1990

 

Ne réveillez pas un flic qui dort (1988)

Ne réveillez pas un flic qui dort

5.5

adaptation

1988

 

The Passage (1986)

The Passage

4.7

adaptation

1986

 

Alain Delon in Parole de flic (1985)

Parole de flic

5.6

adaptation

1985

 

Alain Delon in Le battant (1983)

Le battant

6.3

scenario & adaptation (as A. Delon)

1983

 

Catherine Deneuve and Alain Delon in Le choc (1982)

Le choc

5.7

adaptation & dialogue

1982

 

Alain Delon in To Kill a Cop (1981)

To Kill a Cop

6.4

scenario & adaptation (as A. Delon)

1981

 

Alain Delon in Three Men to Kill (1980)

Three Men to Kill

6.3

adaptation (as A. Delon)

1980

 

Boomerang (1976)

Boomerang

6.1

screenplay

1976