The French actor, known for his roles in “The Ice Cold Samouraï” and “Traffic Light at Noon”, also caused controversy with his support of the extreme right.

French actor Alain Delon, considered by many a heartthrob and by some a chauvinist, has died at the age of 88.

The film actor, known for his leading roles in classics such as “Purple Sullivan” (1960) and “The Cruel Emperor” (1967), died early Sunday, his children told French media.

“Alain Fabien, Anouchka, Anthony and (his dog) Loubo are deeply saddened to announce the death of their father. He died peacefully at his home in Douchy, surrounded by his three children and family,” his family’s statement to AFP news agency said, referring to the town in north-central France where he spent the last years of his life.

French President Emmanuel Macron was among those who paid tribute to the late actor, calling him not only a legendary actor but also a “monument.”

“Alain Delon played legendary roles and made the world dream. He lent us his unforgettable face to turn our lives upside down,” Macron wrote on X.

“Melancholic, popular, mysterious – he was more than a star: he was a French monument.”

Delon suffered a stroke in 2019.

Earlier this year, his son Anthony said his father had been diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma, a type of cancer.

The former actor’s deteriorating health was the cause of months of public family disputes.

While he was rarely seen on screen in the 1990s, Delon made headlines in 2023 when his three children filed a complaint against his live-in assistant Hiromi Rollin, accusing her of harassment and threatening behavior.

Before Delon’s severe stroke, he made his last major public appearance on the red carpet in May 2019 to accept the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

“It’s a bit of a posthumous tribute, but from my lifetime,” he said as he accepted the award.

Support for the extreme right

In the 1960s and 1970s, at the height of his career, Delon’s physical appearance was his greatest asset to filmmakers.

With his portrayal of the silent killer in Jean-Pierre Melville’s “The Cold Killer”, he created the template for one of Hollywood’s most popular clichés: the mysterious, intellectual contract killer.

Directors from Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino to Hong Kong’s John Woo have all praised the actor, even though the former French actor never made his big break in Hollywood.

And although he was revered by many, he also had to endure a lot of criticism.

He supported the polarizing politician Jean-Marie Le Pen, the leader of the far-right Front National (later renamed Rassemblement National), who supports the death penalty and opposes homosexuality.

His relationship with women also caused controversy; his sons accused him of domestic violence.

The self-proclaimed right-winger was also ridiculed for his ego, as he often spoke in the third person.

At a gala event honoring Delon in Cannes in 2019, he made a statement summarizing his achievements. “One thing I know for sure: if there is one thing I am truly proud of, it is my career,” he said.