Alain Delon, Legendary French Actor Known for Rocco and His Brothers and Purple Noon, Dies at 88

Alain Delon, legendary French actor known for films from the 1960s Rocco and his brothers and Purple noondied. He was 88 years old.

The actor died on Sunday, August 18 at his home in Douchy-Montcorbon, France, his family told Agence France-Presse. After Delon’s death, fans gathered at his home to pay their respects, according to footage shared by a French news agency.

Delon’s family has not released a cause of death, but one of the star’s sons, Anthony Delon, revealed that the star’s health had been deteriorating since he suffered a stroke in 2019. The Washington Post and The New York Times.

He was also diagnosed with a form of lymphoma, for which he began treatment in 2022.

Alain Delon in 1960.

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The famous career of the actor and sex symbol, which included more than 80 films, began thanks to his role as the iconic con artist Tom Ripley in the 1960s Purple noon. The late star also frequently made headlines for his romantic life and other scandals.

Born in Sceaux, France in 1935, Delon had a turbulent childhood. When he was 4 years old, his parents divorced and sent him to a foster family. When his foster parents died, the family sent him to a boarding school. He enlisted in the army at the age of 17, served during the First Indochina War and later returned to France in 1956.

His film career began when he went to the Cannes Film Festival in 1957 and was noticed by a Hollywood talent scout who wanted him to learn English before coming to America. But when Delon met the French director Yves Allégret, he decided to stay in France and made his debut in the director’s 1957 film. Quand la femme s’en mêle.

Alain Delon in 1965.

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Reflecting on the role decades later, in 2018, Delon said British GQ“I had no idea what to do.”

“Allégret stared at me, just like that, and said, ‘Listen to me, Alain. Talk while you’re talking to me. Stare while you’re staring at me. Listen to me while you’re listening. Don’t act. Live.’ That changed everything,” he recalled. “If Yves Allégret hadn’t told me that, I would never have had this career.”

In 1960, he starred in both Purple noon and Rocco and his brothersand both have gained international recognition.

“Alain Delon as the sweet and devoted Rocco, a brother who emerges from deep pain to take on the burden of his failing brother and family obligations, is touchingly indulgent and expressive,” The New York Times raved in his review.

Alain Delon.

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Delon once again teamed up with Roko directed by Luchino Visconti for 1963 Leopardwhich established him as one of the biggest stars of French cinema. He starred with Jane Fonda in 1964 Les Félinsand by the mid-60s he began appearing in Hollywood productions.

It appeared in 1965 Yellow Rolls-Royce along with Shirley MacLaine and had his first Hollywood leading role in 1965 Once a thiefopposite Ann-Margret, with whom he entered into a love relationship.

However, Delon’s Hollywood career was severely limited by his French accent, and he was often cast as a seductive European lover. Ultimately, he decided to focus on French and European cinema.

Alain Delon in 1978.

J. Cuinieres/Roger Viollet via Getty

Delon’s other major films are 1967 Le Samouraiin 1968 Goodbye Friendin 1969 La Piscine1970s Le Cercle Rougein 1973 Tony Arzentain 1975 Zorroin 1976 Monsieur Klein and Our Story from 1984for which he won the César Award for Best Actor.

When La Piscine shown in New York in 2021. The New York Times wrote: “Nearly 10 years after his landmark role as Tom Ripley in Purple noon and Roko inside Rocco and his brothers… Delon still retained every iota of his ultra-supracity. In dramatic roles, the actor, despite his sexy smoothness, strives for solemnity, and that suits him well here.”

Delon has appeared several times on the small screen, including a miniseries from 2002 Fabio Montale and series from 2003 Frank Riva. In 1973, he also released a song, a duet “Paroles, paroles” with the French singer Dalida.

Alain Delon in 1988.

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At the height of his career, Delon was occasionally involved in scandals. In 1968, he was questioned for the murder of Stevan Marković, his friend and bodyguard. Delon’s friend François Marcantoni was arrested for the murder but later released, and the case was never solved.

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Delon was in a relationship with his Christine actress Romy Schneider until 1964 when they broke up, partly due to her family’s opposition to the romance. Delon claimed that Schneider, who died in 1982, was the love of his life.

Alain Delon in 1990.

JEAN-PIERRE MULLER/AFP via Getty

In 1961, he had an affair with Nico, a German actress. The following year she gave birth to their son, Christian Aaron Boulogne, whom Delon never acknowledged, even after Boulogne sued him twice. Boulogne died in 2023.

In 1964, he married Nathalie Barthélémy, who was pregnant at the time. Later that year, they had a son, Anthony. The couple divorced in 1969, partly because of Delon’s constant infidelities.

Delon began a relationship with Rosalie van Breemen in 1987. They had two children – Anouchka Delon and Alain-Fabien Delon, born in 1990 and 1994 respectively – before divorcing in 2001.

In January 2024, following a diagnosis of stroke and lymphoma, Delon’s care was placed under legal guardianship, amid a custody and property battle between his three children, per Barron’s.

Alain Delon in 2010.

LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty

In 2019, Delon received an honorary Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for his long career. The festival was heavily criticized for its choice, as Delon had a history of homophobic and sexist remarks and was a vocal supporter of France’s far-right political party.

“There is one thing in the world that I am truly proud of, the only thing: it is my career, and this Palme d’Or was offered to me for my career and nothing else,” he said in his acceptance speech.

“Look, I’ve been incredibly lucky. I’ve been happy all my life; I’ve shot with the best,” he told British GQ in 2018. “I did what I wanted, with whom I wanted, when I wanted. I think more about the past than the future, yes, because my past was extraordinary. It simply cannot be compared today. The life I had doesn’t come twice. That’s why, when it comes to retirement, I have no regrets.”

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