Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon (French: [alɛ̃ dəlɔ̃]; born 8 November 1935) is a French actor, singer, filmmaker, and businessman. He was one of Europe's most prominent actors and screen sex symbols in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Delon has received awards at prestigious festivals and has often been honored for his entire career. He has received tributes from great actors such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Keanu Reeves and Jackie Chan, and has inspired many franchises of world cinema.
Alain Delon | |
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Born | Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon 8 November 1935 Sceaux, France |
Citizenship |
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Occupations |
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Years active | 1949; 1957–2019 |
Works | Performances |
Spouse | |
Partners |
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Children | At least 3, including Anthony and Anouchka[1] and Alain-Fabien Delon[2] |
Military service | |
Allegiance | France |
Branch/service | French Navy Fusiliers |
Years of service | 1952–1956 |
Battles/wars | First Indochina War |
Signature | |
In 1985, he won the César Award for Best Actor for his performance in Notre histoire (1984). In 1991, he became a member of France's Legion of Honour. At the 45th Berlin International Film Festival, he won the Honorary Golden Bear. At the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, he received the Honorary Palme d'Or.
Delon achieved critical acclaim for roles in the films Purple Noon (1960), Rocco and His Brothers (1960), L'Eclisse (1962), The Leopard (1963), Le Samouraï (1967), La Piscine (1969), Le Cercle Rouge (1970), Un flic (1972), and Monsieur Klein (1976). Over the course of his career Delon worked with many directors, including Luchino Visconti, Jean-Luc Godard, Jean-Pierre Melville, Michelangelo Antonioni, and Louis Malle. As a singer, Delon recorded the popular duet "Paroles, paroles" (1973) with Dalida. He acquired Swiss citizenship in 1999.
Alain Delon was born in Sceaux, Seine (now Hauts-de-Seine), Île-de-France, a wealthy suburb of Paris. His parents, Édith a pharmacist (née Arnold; 1911–1995) and Fabien Delon a manager of a neighborhood theater (1904–1977), divorced when Delon was four.[3] Both remarried and, as a result, Delon has a half-sister and two half-brothers. His paternal grandmother was Corsican, from Prunelli-di-Fiumorbo.[4] When his parents divorced, Delon was sent to live with foster parents. After his foster parents died, Delon's parents took shared custody of him, but the arrangement proved unsatisfactory.[5]
He attended a Catholic[5] boarding school, the first of several schools from which he was expelled because of unruly behavior. Delon left school at 14 and worked for a brief time at his stepfather's butcher shop. He enlisted in the French Navy three years later, aged 17, and during 1953–1954 he served as a fusilier marin in the First Indochina War.
In 1949, Delon starred in Le rapt, a short film in which he portrayed a gangster involved in a kidnapping.[6][7]
In 1956, after his naval service in Saigon, Delon returned to France,[8] and spent time working as a waiter, a porter, a secretary, and a sales assistant. During this time, he became friends with the actress Brigitte Auber and joined her on a trip to the Cannes Film Festival, where his film career would begin.
At Cannes, Delon was seen by a talent scout for the American producer David O. Selznick. After a screen test Selznick offered him a contract, provided that he learn English. Delon returned to Paris to study English, but when he met French director Yves Allégret, he was convinced that he should stay in France to begin his career. Selznick allowed Delon to cancel his contract, and Allégret gave him his debut in the film with Edwige Feuillère, Quand la femme s'en mêle (1957) (Send a Woman When the Devil Fails).[9]
Marc Allégret cast him in Be Beautiful But Shut Up (1958), which featured a young Jean-Paul Belmondo. He was then given his first lead, supporting Romy Schneider in the period romance Christine (1958), based on a novel by Arthur Schnitzler. He and Schneider began a highly publicized romance in real life. The film was the seventeenth most popular movie at the French box office that year.[9]
Delon was given the lead in the comedy Women Are Weak (1959). This was a big hit in France[10] and was the first of Delon's films to be seen in America. Delon made some personal appearances in New York to promote the movie.
Delon next made two films that ensured his international reputation. In 1960, he appeared in René Clément's Plein Soleil, released in the US as Purple Noon, which was based on the Patricia Highsmith novel The Talented Mr. Ripley. Delon played protagonist Tom Ripley to critical acclaim; Highsmith was a fan of his portrayal.[11] The movie was a hit in France and on the art house circuit in English-speaking countries. He then played the title role in Luchino Visconti's Rocco and His Brothers (1960). Critic Bosley Crowther of The New York Times wrote that Delon's work was "touchingly pliant and expressive".[12]
Delon made his stage debut in 1961 in the John Ford play 'Tis Pity She's a Whore alongside Romy Schneider in Paris. Visconti directed the production which broke box office records.[13] He was reunited with René Clément in the Italian comedy film about fascism, The Joy of Living (1961). It was a minor success. More popular was an all-star anthology film Famous Love Affairs (1961); Delon's segment cast him as Albert III, Duke of Bavaria, opposite Brigitte Bardot. Around this time Delon was mentioned as a possibility for the lead in Lawrence of Arabia.[14]
Peter O'Toole was cast instead, but then Delon was signed by Seven Arts to a four-picture deal, including a big budget international movie of the Marco Polo story and The King of Paris, about Alexandre Dumas.[15] Neither project came to fruition. Instead he was cast by Michelangelo Antonioni opposite Monica Vitti in L'Eclisse (1962),[16] a major critical success, although audiences were small. More popular was another all-star anthology film, The Devil and the Ten Commandments (1963); Delon's segment cast him with Danielle Darrieux.[17]
Producer Jacques Bar was making a heist film with Jean Gabin with backing from MGM, titled Any Number Can Win (1963). Gabin's co-star was meant to be Jean-Louis Trintignant until Delon lobbied Bar for the role. He took the film's distribution rights in certain countries instead of a straight salary. Because this had never been done before in France, this was known as "Delon's method". The gamble paid off well, with Jean Gabin later claiming that Delon earned 10 times more money than he did as a result. However, in 1965, Delon claimed "no one else has tried it since and made money".[18]
The experience gave Delon a taste for producing. He signed a five-picture deal with MGM, of which Any Number Can Win was the first. His reputation was further enhanced when he worked with Visconti again for Il Gattopardo (The Leopard) with Burt Lancaster and Claudia Cardinale. It was the seventh biggest hit of the year in France. Any Number Can Win was the sixth.[19] The Leopard was widely screened in the U.S. through 20th Century Fox. Delon was now one of the most popular stars in France. He starred in a swashbuckler, The Black Tulip (1964), another hit.[20]
Les Félins (1964), which reunited him with Clement and co-starred Jane Fonda, was filmed in French and English versions. The latter was distributed by MGM, but it was not a success.[21] In 1964, the Cinémathèque Française held a showcase of Delon's films and Delon started a production company, Delbeau Production, with Georges Beaume. They produced a film called The Unvanquished (L'insoumis) in 1964, where Delon played a terrorist OAS assassin. It had to be re-edited because of legal issues. Despite being distributed by MGM, audiences were small.[22]
Typecast as a "Latin Lover", Delon spent the next few years focused on Hollywood. In 1965 he said that he wanted to make a picture in America and one in Europe each year. He also said that his accent prevented him from playing certain roles: "Because of my accent, I would not attempt to play Americans. I am working on removing the distinctly French inflections from my speech so that I can play all continental nationalities."[18]
He started with a small part in an all-star anthology for MGM titled The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1965), opposite Shirley MacLaine. It was popular although Delon had little to do. He had his first English-language lead in Once a Thief, where he co-starred with Ann-Margret. It was based on a novel by Zekial Marko who had written Any Number Can Win, but it was not as successful. It was financed by MGM, which announced Delon would appear in a Western Ready for the Tiger directed by Sam Peckinpah, but the film was never made.[23]
Instead, Delon signed a three-picture deal with Columbia, for whom he appeared in the big budget action film Lost Command (1966), playing a member of the French Foreign Legion, alongside Anthony Quinn and Claudia Cardinale. The studio announced that he would appear in the biopic Cervantes, but this was never made.[24] Universal Studios used Delon in a Western, Texas Across the River, opposite Dean Martin. Ray Stark wanted to use him in The Night of the Iguana and This Property Is Condemned.[25][26]
He didn't appear in either film but was in that producer's Is Paris Burning?, directed by René Clément, playing Jacques Chaban-Delmas. This was a massive hit in France but performed disappointingly at the US box office – as did all of Delon's Hollywood-financed films.[27] Delon remained a massive star in France, along with Steve McQueen and Sean Connery, and was one of the biggest foreign stars in Japan.[28] However, he could not make headway in the U.S market.[27]
After six Hollywood movies Delon returned to France to make The Last Adventure opposite Lino Ventura. It was one of Delon's most popular films of the 1960s but wasn't popular in North America. He was meant to work again with Visconti in The Stranger but did not end up playing it.[29] Instead, he appeared on stage in Paris, Les Yeux Crevés and made Le Samouraï with Jean-Pierre Melville, which became another classic.[30] He played an amnesiac in Diabolically Yours (1968) for Julien Duvivier.[31]
He had a role in another all-star anthology, Spirits of the Dead (1968). His segment was directed by Louis Malle, and co-starred Brigitte Bardot. Delon had another attempt at English-language cinema with The Girl on a Motorcycle (1968) with Marianne Faithfull for director Jack Cardiff. It was a surprise hit in Britain.[31] Far more popular at the French box office was Farewell Friend (Adieu l'ami), where Delon and Charles Bronson played former foreign legionnaires who get involved in a heist. The film helped turn Charles Bronson into a genuine star in Europe.[32][33]
La Piscine with Romy Schneider
The film La piscine reunited a 60's 'couple mythique' Alain Delon and Romy Schneider.[34] That’s one of the reasons for its incredible success.[35] Schneider had dramatically broken-up with Delon couple years earlier and married German director and actor Harry Meyen in Berlin.[35] She had a child. Delon asked the filmmaker to book her for this role. He continuously pursued her, both before and after filming "La Piscine", with persistent attempts to reconcile.[36] Despite Romy Schneider's refusals, their shared history and emotional connection spilled onto the screen, infusing the film with raw authenticity.[35][36]
While making the 1969 thriller La Piscine (The Swimming Pool)[37] with Romy Schneider, Delon's friend and bodyguard Stevan Marković was found murdered in a rubbish dump near Paris. The police investigation revealed claims of sex parties involving celebrities such as Delon and members of the French government, including future president Georges Pompidou, whose wife, Claude Pompidou, was allegedly the subject of a series of compromising photos at one such party. Corsican crime boss François Marcantoni, a friend of Delon, was suspected of involvement in the murder. The affair gained notoriety throughout France and in the French press as the "Marković affair". In a 1969 BBC interview, Delon was questioned about his alleged involvement in the death of Marković, rumors of his involvement in the sex parties, and Delon's own sexual preferences.
Reporter: People, once more, don't say it straight to your face but they suggest very very strongly that you have homosexual tastes? Delon: So what's wrong if I had? Or I did? Would I be guilty of something? If I like it I'll do it. We have a great actor in France named Michel Simon, and Michel Simon said once, "If you like your goat, make love with your goat." But the only matter is to love.[38]
Delon then starred in a series of gangster films. The first was Jeff (1969), made by his own production company, Adel. In The Sicilian Clan (1969) Delon collaborated with Lino Ventura and Jean Gabin, and the film was a blockbuster. Even more popular in Europe was Borsalino (1970), which Delon produced and in which he co-starred opposite Jean-Paul Belmondo. Neither of these films was successful in the US, as Delon had hoped.[39] Neither was The Red Circle, despite Delon co-starring in it with Yves Montand. For a change of pace, he produced a romantic drama, The Love Mates (1971), which was not successful. Neither was the 1971 comedy Easy, Down There!.[40]
In the early 1970s, Delon made another attempt at the English-speaking market. The Assassination of Trotsky (1972) for Joseph Losey was poorly received but Red Sun (1972), with Charles Bronson and Toshiro Mifune, did well. In France he appeared opposite Simone Signoret in The Widow Couderc (1971). He made his third film with Melville, Un flic (1972). He produced and starred in a romantic drama, Indian Summer (1972), then made some thrillers: Traitement de choc (1973), and Tony Arzenta (1973).
In 1973, he recorded a duet with Dalida, "Paroles, paroles", that went on to become one of the most recognizable French songs. He tried again for Hollywood stardom with Scorpio (1973), with Burt Lancaster for director Michael Winner. It was only a minor hit. In France, he made The Burned Barns (1973) and Creezy (1974). He produced Two Men in Town (1974) which re-teamed him with Jean Gabin, and Borsalino & Co. (1974), a sequel to his earlier hit.
After another gangster thriller, Icy Breasts (1974), Delon returned to his first swashbuckler since The Black Tulip, playing the title character in the 1975 Italian-French film Zorro. He made some more crime filmes: The Gypsy (1975), Flic Story (1975) (with Jean Louis Triginant), Boomerang (1976) and Armaguedon (1976). In 1976, Delon starred in Monsieur Klein, for which he was nominated for the César Award.[41]
It was back to crime for another series of thrillers in which he starred as well as produced: Man in a Hurry (1977),[42] Death of a Corrupt Man (1977),[43] Le Gang (1977),[44] Attention, The Kids Are Watching (1978).[45] In 1979, Delon stated only a quarter of his business activities involve films, that he also has "a helicopter business, build furniture, promote prize fights, and race horses", and that he was still interested in becoming a star in America.[46]
In 1979 he made a final attempt at Hollywood stardom, signing with agent Sue Mengers and starring in The Concorde ... Airport '79 (1979).[47] The film was not a big success. Delon returned to French films which he produced: The Medic (1979) and Three Men to Kill (1980).
Teheran 43 (1981) was a change of pace. In this big Soviet production he co-starred with Claude Jade and Curd Jürgens in a co-starring role beside Russian actors. Then it was back to crime: For a Cop's Hide (1981), Le choc (1982, opposite Catherine Deneuve), Le Battant (1983). He was awarded the Best Actor César Award for his role in Bertrand Blier's Notre histoire (1984), and portrayed the aristocratic dandy Baron de Charlus in a film adaptation of Marcel Proust's novel Swann in Love in the same year.
The thrillers resumed: Parole de flic (1986), The Passage, Let Sleeping Cops Lie (1988), and Dancing Machine (1990). One notable film during this time was Jean-Luc Godard's Nouvelle Vague in 1990, in which Delon played twins. Delon's last major role was in Patrice Leconte's Une chance sur deux in 1998, another box office disappointment. Delon announced his decision to give up acting in 1997, although he still occasionally accepts roles.
Delon acquired Swiss citizenship on 23 September 1999,[48] and the company managing products sold under his name is based in Geneva. He resides in Chêne-Bougeries in the canton of Geneva.
In 2001, Delon starred in the French television drama Fabio Montale. He played an ageing policeman dressed in stylish clothes, a "signature Delon" role for audiences. The show was a big hit. In 2003, Delon tried to recreate the success of Fabio Montale and produced and starred in another French television police drama, Frank Riva. It did well but less so than Fabio Montale. He starred, in 2008, as Jules Cesar in the box-office hit Asterix aux jeux Olympiques which co-starred Gérard Depardieu. Around this time he mostly took roles in TV movies and also played some roles on the French stage.[49]
He directed a TV movie in 2008, co-starring Anouk Aimee, titled Love Letters based on a play by A.R. Gurney. In 2018, after a seven-year hiatus from cinema, Delon was planning to star in a new movie, titled La Maison Vide, co-starring Juliette Binoche and directed by Patrice Leconte. However, in November 2018 the French media announced that the project was canceled. No specific reason was given for the cancelation.[49] His last roles to date have been in the 2011 television movie Une journée ordinaire, in the 2012 Russian production S Novym godom, Mamy! in which he starred as himself and he again appeared as himself in the 2019 movie Toute Ressemblance as a guest in a talkshow.[50]
In April 2019, at 83, Delon released a new single. The track, titled Je n'aime que toi, was composed by Rick Allison and Julia Paris. Already in 1973 Delon scored a huge international hit duetting with Egyptian-French singer Dalida on the song Paroles...paroles. In 1983 he collaborated with Shirley Bassey on the international hit song Thought I'd ring you.[51][52]
At the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, which was held from 14 to 25 May, Delon was the recipient of an honorary Palme d'Or for his long standing career in the movies. A retrospective of some of his films played at the festival. There was much controversy surrounding Delon receiving this award because of the presumed remarks he had made concerning the treatment of women during his career and in his private life. Thierry Fremaux, the artistic director of the festival, told the Cannes audience during a homage at the ceremony, "We know that intolerance is back, we're being asked to believe that if we all think the same it will protect us from the risk of being disliked or being wrong, but Alain Delon is not afraid of being wrong, being disliked, and he doesn't think like others, and he's not afraid of being alone." "For me, it's more than the end of a career. It's the end of a life. It feels that I'm receiving a posthumous tribute while being alive", said Delon. He received the award from his daughter Anouchka Delon.[53][54][55][56][57][58]
In a July 2021 interview on TV5Monde, his first since having two strokes, Delon said that he plans to act in one more film.[59][60] Also on TV5Monde, Delon interviewed Ukrainian president Zelenskyy in September 2022 as part of a special programme on the situation in Ukraine, Face à Zelensky. Delon expressed his support for the Ukrainian people during the interview.[61][62]
In the 1970s, Delon expanded his commercial interests, buying harness racing trotters and promoting boxing matches.[63] He has also helped develop and promote a variety of products sold under his name including wristwatches, clothing, eyewear, perfume, stationery, and cigarettes.[64][65] Delon's brand of sunglasses became particularly popular in Hong Kong after actor Chow Yun-fat wore them in the 1986 crime film A Better Tomorrow, as well as two sequels. Delon reportedly wrote a letter thanking Chow for helping to promote and sell the sunglasses in Hong Kong and China.[66]
The film's director John Woo has acknowledged Delon as one of his idols and wrote a short essay on Le Samourai as well as Le Cercle Rouge for the Criterion Collection DVD releases.[67] In 2009 and 2015, Christian Dior used images of the young Alain Delon and excerpts of his 1960s films The Swimming Pool and The Last Adventure respectively in the Eau Sauvage cologne advertising campaigns.[68]
On 20 March 1959, Delon was engaged to actress Romy Schneider, whom he met when they co-starred in the film Christine (1958).[69] After their first film together, the couple of Alain Delon and Romy Schneider became iconic.[70] Schneider, already a highly acclaimed star, and Alain, a rising talent, were affectionately nicknamed "les amants magnifiques" (the magnificent lovers), "Les fiancés éternels" (eternal fiancés), and "les amants terribles" (the terrible lovers) due to their passionate and tumultuous relationship,[70] which was the subject of intense media scrutiny, with paparazzi relentlessly pursuing them.[71] Romy's family remained opposed to their union, adding further complexities to their romance.[71][72] In 1964, Delon and Schneider broke up.[73] Their love story continued to captivate audiences and cementing their status as one of the most beautiful couples in cinema history.[74] In 2018, Delon confessed that Romy Schneider is the love of his life.[75] In 2009, he admitted his regret for not marrying her.[76]
In 1961, he had an affair with German actress, singer and model Nico. And in 1962, Nico gave birth to a son, Christian Aaron Boulogne (Ari Päffgen) "Ari", but Delon never recognized the child as his. Ari was raised mostly by Delon's parents.[77] In 2001 and 2019, Boulogne attempted to sue Delon for legal recognition of paternity but without success.[78][79][80]
In 1963, Delon met young divorcée Francine Canovas,[81] a model known professionally as Nathalie Barthélémy.[81][82] He was also involved in an affair with Marisa Mell both before and after publicly announcing his engagement to Nathalie Barthélemy during a press conference.[83] This liaison continued even after his marriage in 1964 and persisted into 1965. On 13 August 1964, he married Nathalie Barthélemy due to her pregnancy, which became publicly known and thereafter she took the name Nathalie Delon.[70] Their son Anthony Delon, her second child, was born on 30 September 1964. Nathalie later revealed that Delon's love for Romy Schneider remained a constant presence in their relationship, with Alain often displaying a deep sadness indicative that his heart still belonged to Romy.[84] In 1964-1965, Delon's relationships also included Ann-Margret and Lana Wood.[85][86] In 1967, Alain Delon filed for divorce.[87] The couple divorced on 14 February 1969.[88]
In the mid-1960s, Delon had a short relationship with Dalida. The two had been friends since first meeting in Paris in 1955, where they were neighbors in the same building on the Champs-Élysées.[89]
In August 1968, during the shooting of the film La Piscine, Delon met French actress Mireille Darc and asked her to shoot a movie together. They started a relationship that lasted until 1982.[90] He later had short relationships with actresses Anne Parillaud and Lana Wood,[91] as well as Catherine Bleynie, ex-wife of Didier Pironi.[92]
Delon was in a short relationship with Guadeloupe-born dancer and actress Maddly Bamy. He met Bamy on the set of La Piscine, in which Bamy had a small role. As Delon was also Mireille Darc's partner at the time, he shared his life with two women. Bamy ended their relationship in 1971, and subsequently became Jacques Brel's last companion. Their love triangle served as an inspiration to the 1969 film The Love Mates, in which Delon and Darc starred. Darc wrote the film's screenplay under her real name, Mireille Aigroz.[93][94][95]
In 1987, Delon met Dutch model Rosalie van BreemenAnouchka Delon (25 November 1990) and Alain-Fabien Delon (18 March 1994). The relationship ended in 2001.
on the set of the music video for his song "Comme au cinéma" and started a relationship. They had two children:Delon lives in Chêne-Bougeries, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland, and Douchy, Loiret, France.
During an interview in 2013, Delon expressed support of the French far-right political party National Front, saying "The National Front, like the MCG [Geneva Citizens' Movement] in Geneva, is very important... I encourage it and I perfectly understand it."[96] Delon was good friends with Argentine world champion boxer Carlos Monzon, even visiting Monzon during his stint in prison.[97][98] In 2022, the 86-year-old Delon was invited by Volodymyr Zelensky to travel to Ukraine.[99][100]
On July 5, 2023, his three children filed a complaint against the woman presented as the actor's companion, alleging psychological harassment, interception of correspondence, animal cruelty, voluntary violence, unlawful confinement, and abuse of weakness.[101][102] According to Anthony Delon, his father requested in writing that Mrs. Rollin leave the residence in Douchy-Montcorbon. A preliminary investigation was opened on July 6. On July 7, Yassine Bouzrou, lawyer for Hiromi Rollin, stated that she disputes "the entirety of the facts".[103][104] Furthermore, the lawyer added that she would file a complaint against members of the Delon family and bodyguards for aggravated voluntary violence suffered on July 5, 2023.[105][106] Meanwhile, Hiromi Rollin wrote a letter to the prosecutor of Montargis in which she denies being Alain Delon's companion, claiming to have had an intimate relationship with him for over twenty years, although she stated in another interview, "a love relationship of 33 years". The prosecutor of Montargis dismissed the two complaints filed by the three Delon children against the woman in her sixties due to insufficiently characterized offenses. Hiromi Rollin's complaint, filed in response against the Delon children, was also dismissed for the same reasons. However, Hiromi Rollin's lawyer announced that his client planned to file a complaint with a civil party in order to restart the investigations. Anthony Delon, on his part, intends to become a civil party against Hiromi Rollin so that "the truth is revealed".
On January 4, 2024, Alain Delon filed a complaint against his son Anthony following an interview granted by the latter to Paris Match magazine.[107][108] Anthony Delon discusses his father's fragile health and accuses his half-sister Anouchka of manipulating their father regarding the inheritance.[109] In this interview, the eldest reveals that his father is "weakened" and that he "can't bear to see himself like this, diminished" anymore. Subsequently, Anthony Delon filed a police report against Anouchka, accusing her of not informing the family about the negative results of five cognitive tests conducted by their father between 2019 and 2022, after he suffered a severe stroke in 2019.[110] Anouchka Delon, on the other hand, accuses her brothers of endangering the patriarch's life and claims to have wanted to take their father to Switzerland so he could continue to be treated there. She then announces plans to sue for defamation, false accusations, threats, and harassment against Anthony Delon.[111] Furthermore, Alain Delon's lawyer asserts that his client "cannot bear the aggressiveness of his son Anthony, who keeps telling him that he is senile". On March 29, 2024, Anouchka Delon sues her brothers for invasion of privacy after the broadcast of a recording in January 2024 on Instagram of a conversation between her and her father.[112] Anthony and Alain-Fabien will thus be judged for "use, retention, or disclosure of a document or recording obtained by an invasion of another's privacy". The trial date is set for April 2025. Physically weakened by cancer, Delon is placed under reinforced guardianship by judicial decision in April 2024, following a hearing at the Montargis court, in the presence of the actor's three children.[113] This measure follows a period during which Delon had already been placed under guardianship since January 25, and notably grants the appointed curator by the judge the power to manage his expenses.[114]
On 1 October 1968, in the village of Élancourt, Yvelines, on the western outskirts of Paris, the body of Stevan Marković, Delon's former bodyguard, was found in a public dump.[115][116] Delon and a Corsican gangster François Marcantoni came under investigation. One of the factors pointing in that direction was a letter from Marković to his brother Aleksandar, in which he wrote: "If I get killed, it's 100% the fault of Alain Delon and his godfather Francois Marcantoni." Later, the investigation involved the former French Prime Minister (and later President) Georges Pompidou after a few press articles and a testimony of Borivoj Ackov.[117] He testified that he was present at parties with Pompidou's wife, Marković, and Delon.
Marković's death sparked rumours suggesting the existence of group sex photos with Pompidou's wife. Pompidou accused Louis Wallon and Henri Capitant of using the French espionage service SDECE with an aim to set him up. After becoming President of the Republic, he named Alexandre de Marenches as the head of the SDECE in order to reform it. Assisted by Michel Roussin, his principal private secretary, de Marenches expelled a "secret agent" involved in the investigation of Jean-Charles Marchiani.
In 1969, Delon was convicted in absentia and sentenced to four months in jail by an Italian court for assaulting an Italian photographer.[118]
On 26 February 2024, police raided Delon's home where they seized 72 firearms and 3,000 rounds of ammunition. A court-appointed official had been sent to the home of Delon, who is not authorised to own a firearm, and alerted a judge after noticing a weapon.[119][120]
In 1970, Delon, through a friend, Mr Stan, purchased a copy of the original manuscript of Charles de Gaulle's 1940 speech to the French encouraging them to resist the Germans. Delon paid 300,000 francs for the manuscript and then returned it to the government.[121][122]
Delon suffered a stroke in June 2019. He was admitted to hospital after experiencing dizziness and headaches. In August 2019, he was recovering in a Swiss hospital.[123] In September 2022, he began experimental treatment for a slow-progressing lymphoma. In the summer of 2023, Delon's three children made the decision to stop this treatment because it was weakening him.[124]
In a 2021 interview with Paris Match, Delon expressed support for euthanasia, calling it "the most logical and natural thing".[125] In 2022, Delon's son Anthony revealed in his autobiography Entre chien et loup that, following the death of his mother Nathalie, Alain said he wanted to be removed from life support if he were to succumb to a coma, and had asked Anthony to fulfill his request if such a circumstance arose.[126][127] Shortly thereafter, some news organizations reported that Delon was planning to imminently end his life through euthanasia, but the reports were adamantly denied by his son, Alain-Fabien, who said that quotes from Anthony Delon's book had been taken out of context.[128][129]
In January 2024, Delon was reported to be in poor health and living a reclusive lifestyle at his La Brûlerie estate in Douchy. At the same time, a public feud concerning Delon's health arose between three of his children–Anthony, Anouchka and Alain-Fabien–all of whom acknowledge Delon is "ailing but lucid and aware of the feud". The rift began when Anthony publicly accused Anouchka, his half-sister, of "lying" and "manipulation" for concealing the results of cognitive tests Swiss doctors had performed on their father. The children, however, had united in mid-2023 to successfully evict Delon's former companion Hiromi Rollin, whom they accused of abusing their father.[130][131][132]
Delon's favourite actor is John Garfield. He also admires Montgomery Clift, Marlon Brando and Robert Walker.[133]
Many contemporary filmmakers such as Bruce Willis,[134] Mark Strong,[135] Ti Lung, Johnnie To, Mickey Rourke,[136] Quentin Tarantino, Nicolas Winding Refn,[137] Sofia Coppola, and Jackie Chan[138] have expressed respect or admiration for the career and longevity of Alain Delon.
Leonardo DiCaprio regards Alain Delon as one of the "coolest actors in the history of cinema".[139] The Canadian actor Keanu Reeves asserts that Delon is his role model as an actor: "He's such a charismatic actor. I think he has something in him between tension and melancholy."[140] British director Matthew Vaughn compares actor Michael Caine to Alain Delon, suggesting the unique cinematic influence of these two actors in their respective countries.[141] British actor Clive Owen says he is fascinated by Alain Delon's "natural grace", considering Le Samouraï and La Piscine among his favorite films.[142]
Joseph Losey, an American director, expressed his admiration for Alain Delon, saying, "Alain is one of those rare talents who can be honored as being difficult. To me, this word means professionalism, demand, dedication to work, warmth, and love. He's not a man to play with, but a man you can rely on."[143] American producer Robert Evans pays a vibrant tribute to Delon in his memoirs The Kid Stays in the Picture: A Contrary, 1995, considering him as his "brother in life as in cinema" and "the most beautiful actor in Europe".
Also, the roles and interpretations of Alain Delon have influenced numerous colleagues, both in France and internationally. The German film Liebe ist kälter als der Tod pays homage to French cinema masters such as Claude Chabrol and Éric Rohmer. Furthermore, Ulli Lommel's directorial style, as well as the poster artwork, draws inspiration from Alain Delon's magnetic presence in Le Samouraï. Chow Yun-Fat, in John Woo's film The Killer, not only reprises the role of Alain Delon in the film Le Samouraï :he plays a character who dreams that he is Alain Delon.[144] In In the Mood for Love by Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai, the main male character, Mr. Chow, suggests the elegance and seductive side of Alain Delon thanks to his "good-natured and discreet manner".[citation needed][145][failed verification] In the comedy You Shoot, I Shoot by Pang Ho-Cheung in 2001, Eric Kot plays a hitman who idolizes Alain Delon's Jef Costello, dressing like the character and speaking to through a poster of the French film in his apartment. In Anton Corbijn's The American, George Clooney portrays a solitary, calm, and meticulous hitman, devoid of emotion and reminiscent of the role played by Delon in 1967.[146][147][148] Forest Whitaker also draws inspiration from the role of Jef Costello (played by Alain Delon in Le Samouraï) for Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai. South Korean actor Jung Woo Sung also drew inspiration from Alain Delon's performance in Le Samouraï for his first role as a criminal in Cold Eyes. Michael Fassbender drew inspiration from Alain Delon's character in Le Samouraï for his role in David Fincher's film The Killer.[149] Keanu Reeves, in John Wick: Chapter 4, embodies a formidable hitman but imbued with a certain emotional depth, mimicking Alain Delon, whom Reeves looks up to. Chad Stahelski, the director in charge of the franchise, drew inspiration from Delon's performances in Melville's films: "The 'John Wick' movies are all love letters from Keanu, myself, our stunt team, and our creative team to everyone, from Wong Kar-wai to Sammo Hung, to Sergio Leone, Kurosawa, Alain Delon and 'Le Samouraï', Spielberg, Tarantino... To all those people we loved growing up."[150][151]
During the filming of American Gigolo, screenwriter and director Paul Schrader had Richard Gere watch the film Purple Noon so that he could be inspired by Delon's composition.[152] The protagonist of the film Bad Education (La mala educación), played by Gael García Bernal, is inspired by Patricia Highsmith's character Tom Ripley, as portrayed by René Clément in Purple Noon, embodied by Alain Delon. In A Perfect Man, Pierre Niney worked on one resembling Alain Delon's character playing in Plein Soleil.[153]
Forest Whitaker, who studied several Delon films at the university, takes on the role of Gino Strabliggi (played by Alain Delon in 1973 Two Men in Town) in Two Men in Town.[154][155] In The Skin I Live in Pedro Almodóvar asks Antonio Banderas to draw inspiration from Alain Delon's performance in Le Cercle rouge to become "icy, calculating, restrained, and economical".[156]
Rocco Siffredi chose his stage name in reference to the characters Roch Siffredi (Borsalino and Borsalino & Co) and Rocco Parondi (Rocco and his brothers), both played by Alain Delon.[157]
Alain Delon was offered roles in several iconic productions, thus illustrating the international recognition bestowed upon him. For instance, he was invited by Sam Spiegel (the film's producer) to portray Sherif Ali in Lawrence of Arabia.[158][159] Despite a successful audition, difficulties related to wearing brown contact lenses for the role led the French actor to decline the offer.[160] Robert Evans also considered Alain Delon for the role of Michael Corleone in The Godfather, stating, "That's how he was described in the book."[161][162] However, Francis Ford Coppola rejected the suggestion and preferred Al Pacino. In 1973, director and screenwriter Alejandro Jodorowsky embarked on the cinematic adaptation of Dune.[163] Jodorowsky assembled a prestigious artistic team, including rock bands Pink Floyd and Magma for the music. Jodorowsky also envisioned an ambitious cast: Salvador Dalí, Orson Welles, and Mick Jagger among others. Alain Delon was slated to portray the character of Duncan Idaho. However, anticipating a 14-hour film, the project was abandoned due to significant financial constraints (Dalí notably demanding $100,000 per hour). Alain Delon was among Anne Rice's top choices for the role of Louis, as depicted in her book Interview with the Vampire, which was under discussion for a film adaptation.[164][165] However, the project didn't come to fruition until 1994, with Brad Pitt ultimately taking on the role.
According to the American Film Institute,[166] Delon was considered for roles in Joshua Logan's Fanny (1961), Tony Richardson's The Loved One (1965), Sydney Pollack's This Property Is Condemned (1966), Henri Verneuil's The Scavengers (1968), and John Huston's Victory (1981).[167]
Among the projects turned down by Alain Delon are Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Bernardo Bertolucci's Last Tango in Paris.[168] Additionally, in 1979, Albert Broccoli, in charge of the James Bond franchise, offered Delon the role of James Bond.[169] Delon refused to succeed Sean Connery and thus declined the offer.
"In the Eyes of Alain Delon" is the original initiative of a French photographer, Baptiste Vignol.[170] "To photograph a person every day in a playful and light-hearted way wearing Alain Delon's sunglasses." According to the website materialiste.com: "In Thailand, Brazil, Argentina, Cambodia, Australia, Kenya, Paris... not to mention all the destinations of these glasses... to the photographer's great surprise, everyone knew our French actor, a true French male symbol (although now Swiss) thanks to his films, but especially by lending his image to Dior for the Eau Sauvage perfume. He remains an unrivaled star in Japan as his perfume remains in the top five sales." According to Vadym Omeltchenko, the Ukrainian ambassador to France: "Alain Delon is perceived by Ukrainians as the image of France, the image of French culture, of its art. For us, French culture has always been very important... Alain Delon is very well known in Ukraine."[171]
The King of Morocco Hassan II, a cinephile and fan of French cinema, particularly appreciated Catherine Deneuve, Louis de Funès, and Alain Delon.[172] In 2012, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan welcomed Alain Delon, who was attending the premiere of the film Bonne année, mères in Yerevan. Sargsyan remarked that films featuring Alain Delon are widely known and highly popular in Armenia.[173][174] During an interview broadcast on TV5 Monde in September 2022, Alain Delon expressed his support for the Ukrainian people in the face of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. A former actor and comedian, Zelensky salutes the French actor, saying: "I have never been as great an actor as you [...] We love you very much and for me you are always an authority and a huge actor."[175]
In China, according to a street interview by Canal+'s Petit Journal, Delon is one of the few known French artists. This recognition in China is mainly due to the fact that one of the first European films to be screened in Chinese theaters was Zorro, with Delon playing the masked avenger.[176] The actor is also the godfather of the French pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo, inaugurated by Carla Bruni and Nicolas Sarkozy.[177] He is admired in Iran.[178] In Japan, where he is idolized, he is nicknamed the "Samurai of Spring".[179] This fame has led to the humorous novel Alain Delon is a Star in Japan by Benjamin Berton, published in 2009 by Hachette Littératures.[180]
A still shot of Delon in The Unvanquished appears on the cover of the 1986 album The Queen Is Dead by The Smiths, which was used with his written approval.[181] The song "Beautiful Killer" on Madonna's twelfth studio album MDNA is a tribute to Delon.[182] An early EP by the music group White Town was the "Alain Delon EP".[183] The song "A Look From The Screen" by Russian band Nautilus Pompilius is a tribute to Delon.[184]
The physique of Alain Delon inspired Freeman, the protagonist of the manga Crying Freeman written by Kazuo Koike and illustrated by Ryōichi Ikegami, also adapted into a film by Christophe Gans. The manga and the anime series Beelzebub feature a vast array of fictional characters created by Ryūhei Tamura. One of the key characters is Batim do Emuna Alaindelon, a demon. The mentioned character is directly inspired by Freddie Mercury and named after Alain Delon.[185]
Alain Delon was honored at the "Men of the Year 2001" ceremony with the World Actor 2001 trophy in Vienna, at the Imperial Hofburg palace in Austria.[186] Various personalities from the fields of arts (Steven Spielberg, Paul McCartney, Luciano Pavarotti), economy, and media (Ted Turner, Richard Branson) were also honored for their "exceptional contribution" to society.[187]
A significant part of the work of Russian artist and academician Nikas Stepanovich Safronov focuses on his series titled River of Time, where he portrays various modern personalities, whether famous politicians, actors, or pop music stars.[188] Among those depicted are Alla Pugacheva, Sophia Loren, Pierre Cardin, Elton John, and Alain Delon. These paintings have been acquired by collectors at major national and international exhibitions, and most of them are now displayed in private collections and renowned museums in Russia and Europe.[189]
Alain Delon has been honored in various countries (Argentina, Belgium, Egypt, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Romania, Russia, Senegal Switzerland, Spain Taiwan, Ukraine), often for his entire career:
Delon's most acclaimed films, according to the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, include Purple Noon (1960), Rocco and His Brothers (1960), L'Eclisse (1962), The Leopard (1963), Le Samouraï (1967), La Piscine (1969), Le Cercle Rouge (1970), and Monsieur Klein (1976).[213]
Numerous works (biographies, albums, novels, etc.) are dedicated to Alain Delon, both in France and abroad (Germany, Italy, the United States, the United Kingdom).
Ces résultats ne peuvent qu'affecter DELON producteur. Il est trop présent à l'écran et sa présence ne suscite plus d'attente du public. Ce sera bientôt la fin de cette période très faste des années 70 où l'acteur se permettait de produire des films risqués ou des projets personnels. Il devra revoir ses projets pour mettre en route des films plus sûrs financièrement dans un genre apprécié du public: le polar.
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