Alain Delon, the legendary French actor known for films such as “The Last Jedi” from the 1960s Rocco and his brothers And Purple Noonhas died. 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. Following Delon’s death, fans gathered at his home to pay their last respects, footage obtained by the French news agency shows.

Delon’s family did not disclose a cause of death, but one of the star’s sons, Anthony Delon, revealed that the star’s health had deteriorated 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.

The actor and sex symbol’s legendary career, which spanned over 80 films, began thanks to his role as iconic con artist Tom Ripley in the 1960s. Purple NoonThe late star also frequently made headlines because of his love life and other scandals.

Born in Sceaux, France in 1935, Delon had a turbulent childhood. When he was 4, his parents divorced and sent him to live with a foster family. When his foster parents died, his family sent him to boarding school. At 17, he joined the army, served during the First Indochina War, and returned to France in 1956.

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

Reflecting on the role decades later in 2018, Delon said: British GQ“I didn’t know what to do.”

“Allégret just stared at me and said to me: ‘Listen to me, Alain. Speak as if you were talking to me. Stare as if you were staring at me. Listen as if you were listening to me. Don’t look. Live.’ That changed everything,” he recalls. “If Yves Allégret hadn’t told me that, I would never have had this career.”

In 1960 he played in both Purple Noon And Rocco and his brothersboth of which received international recognition.

“Alain Delon is touchingly smooth and expressive in his role as the sweet and loyal Rocco, the brother who emerges from deep pain to bear the burden of his wayward brother and family duties,” The New York Times raved in his review.

Delon teamed up again with Rocco Director Luchino Visconti for 1963 The Leopardwhich made him one of the biggest stars of French cinema. In 1964 he played with Jane Fonda in The catsand in the mid-60s he began appearing in Hollywood productions.

It was published in 1965 in The yellow Rolls-Royce alongside Shirley MacLaine and had his first leading role in Hollywood in 1965 Once a thiefalongside Ann-Margret, with whom he entered into a romantic relationship.

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

Other important films for Delon were 1967 The Samourai1968s Farewell, friend1969s The swimming pool1970s The Red Circle1973s Tony Arzenta1975s Zorro1976s Monsieur Klein and “Our Story” from 1984for which he was awarded a César for best actor.

When The swimming pool Shown in New York in 2021, The New York Times wrote: “Almost 10 years after his groundbreaking role as Tom Ripley in Purple Noon and Rocco in Rocco and his brothers… Delon has retained every iota of his exuberance. In dramatic roles, the actor tends to have a certain solemnity despite his sexy elegance, and that suits him well here.”

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

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

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Delon was in a relationship with his Christine co-star Romy Schneider until 1964, when they separated, partly because of her family’s opposition to the romance. Delon claimed that Schneider, who died in 1982, was the love of his life.

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

In 1964, he married Nathalie Barthélémy, who was pregnant at the time. They had a son, Anthony, later that year. The couple divorced in 1969, partly because of Delon’s continued infidelity.

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 separating in 2001.

In January 2024, following his stroke and lymphoma diagnosis, Delon’s care was placed under legal guardianship, amid disputes between his three children over his care and assets, per Barron’s.

In 2019, Delon received the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for his long career. The festival received heavy criticism for this choice, as Delon had made homophobic and sexist comments in the past and had vocally supported France’s far-right political party.

“There is one thing in the world that I am truly proud of, the only one: 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 filmed with the best,” he said British GQ in 2018. “I did what I wanted, with who I wanted, when I wanted. I am more attached to the past than the future, yes, because my past was extraordinary. Today is simply no comparison. There are no two lives like mine. That’s why I have no regrets when it comes to retirement.”