Iconic French actor Alain Delon has passed away at 88. A beautiful man. An indelible screen presence. A “pretty boy” that could pull you into a story with grit and toughness.
The news was shared via a statement to AFP. Delon passed away in his longtime home in Douchy, France.“He passed away peacefully in his home in Douchy, surrounded by his three children and his family,” the statement said.
Delon instantly became legendary for his ‘60s streak of films: “Purple Noon,” “Rocco and His Brothers,” “L’Eclisse,” “The Leopard,” “La Piscine,” “Le Cercle Rouge,” and, of course, “Le Samouraï”. What a run.
Delon was akin to a French version of Robert Redford, or Marlon Brado or James Dean — an “unsurpassed” version of French male beauty. Rewatching his films, the gangster coolness never gets old. His hitman in “Le Samourai” might be his most attributable role, and for good reason. It’s a performance that has been duplicated, by many actors, but never replicated.
Delon’s momentum was somewhat slowed down in the ‘70s and in the ‘80s he plummeted. Many people believed his ego got in the way, and the French press joked that his persistent popularity in Asia was due to the fact Asians didn’t see his ’80s movies. Regardless, Delon’s massive celebrity status in Asia ended up influencing Chow Yun-fat, among others.
Delon did have a short resurgence as an actor, winning a César Award for his performance in 1984’s “Notre Histoire,” and collaborating with Jean-Luc Godard in 1990’s “Nouvelle Vague.” He keept working until the early 2012, primarily acting in French television projects. In 2019, he received an honorary Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
Delon had made many misguided decisions later on in his career; I didn’t know this until today, but he apparently pulled out of Johnnie To’s “Vengeance” because he thought the script was bad. His rival, fellow French actor Jean Paul Belmondo, more or less overshadowed him in later years. It didn’t help that Delon went against the grain and became a staunch right wing activist.
Then again, there aren’t many French actors left that could be deemed as “iconic,” or in the same stratosphere as Delon. They’ve all passed away. So, in a way, Delon’s passing certainly feels like the end of an era.