French film legend Alain Delon has died at the age of 88.

The actor was a star of the golden era of French cinema and was known for his role as a tough guy on screen in hits such as “The Samurai” and “Borsalino”.

“He died peacefully in his home in Douchy, surrounded by his three children and his family,” said a statement released to AFP news agency.

Delon’s health had been failing in recent years and he had practically withdrawn. Recently, the disintegration of his family made headlines in France.

Once described as the most beautiful man in the movie world, Delon starred in 1960s hits including The Leopard and Rocco and His Brothers.

From the 1990s onwards he appeared less frequently in films, but he remained a regular feature in celebrity columns.

In total, he appeared in over 90 films during his career.

A statement from his family said: “Alain Fabien, Anouchka, Anthony and (his dog) Loubo are deeply saddened to announce the death of their father.

“He died peacefully in his home in Douchy, surrounded by his three children and his family.”

The daily newspaper Le Parisian called Delon “a legend of cinema”, while Liberation described him as “a leading figure of cinema, a symbol of a dubious masculinity, the actor with the crazy charisma”.

Delon’s last major public appearance was the awarding of the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2019.

At the event, he gave an emotional speech in which he apparently said goodbye to the cinema.

Most recently, the disintegration of his family had made headlines in France.

His three children had expressed their mutual displeasure to the media in a series of insults, accusations, lawsuits and secret recordings.

These included disagreements regarding his medical treatment.

In April of this year, a judge ordered a “reinforced guardianship” for Delon, meaning he no longer had full freedom to dispose of his assets.

BBC News has contacted Delon’s representatives.