- A devilsque angel in human form, renowned film icon Alain Delon, has passed away.
Hat pulled down deeply, collar turned up high, and a stiff expression – this was how the world met Alain Delon as "The Frosty Angel" in Jean-Pierre Melville's film. The actor became a legend, consistently shining in over 80 films as a killer. Now, at the age of 88, Delon has passed away.
According to the actor's three offspring to the French news agency AFP, he passed away peacefully at his home in Douchy, situated in the Centre-Val de Loire region, surrounded by his family. "Alain Fabien, Anouchka, Anthony, and Loubo are heartbroken to share the news of their father's demise," they stated in a joint announcement.
Roles that left a lasting impact on film history
Delon leaves behind a legacy of cinematic masterpieces. "The Wages of Fear," "Only the Sun Was Witness," "Borsalino," or "The Panther" – Delon's career was marked by roles as a cunning criminal and ruthless screen killer.
As early as 1957, in his debut film "Rififi," he took on the role of a killer. The fact that the heartthrob could also play other roles was demonstrated in 1984 in Volker Schlöndorff's "A Love in Swann," in which he portrayed a homosexual baron.
In "Our Story," a tragic love drama, he surprised as a loser, even winning the prestigious César award, France's film honor, in 1985. But the audience didn't take kindly to the gentle Delon. "As soon as I portrayed suffering or weak people, the audience turned against me." They preferred to see "the angel disguised as a devil," as Delon phrased it.
A life story filled with drama
And so, Delon preferred to play the charming yet solitary killer. A part he didn't require scripted dialogue for. The criminal, he explained in the documentary "Alain Delon, un inconnu" by Philippe Kohly, was second nature to him. If not an actor, he would have preferred to be a gangster, as quoted in "Spiegel."
Delon's life story reads like a social drama: First, his parents divorce, then he was placed with a foster family, expelled from school multiple times, started an apprenticeship as a butcher, and at the age of 17, he volunteered for the Indochina War. Upon his return, he lived off questionable sources of income. Even rumors of involvement with the mafia in Paris and Marseille circulated around him.
Linked to a murder investigation
Alain Delon was born on November 8, 1935, in Sceaux near Paris. Later, he mentioned his early life: "How many know that I spent my childhood in the prison courtyard of Fresnes? At least I played with other children of wardens there." Delon's foster father was a warden.
Even as a celebrated film star, there were connections between Delon's roles and reality. In 1968, his Yugoslavian bodyguard and friend Stevan Markovic was found murdered on a garbage dump. Markovic was not just Delon's bodyguard, but also reportedly the lover of his then-wife and actress Nathalie Delon, alias Francine Canovas. The tabloid media linked Delon's name to the case. In 1975, the Markovic investigation was closed – without results.
Multiple romances and affairs
Alain Delon also made headlines with his romances with women. With Romy Schneider, he formed one of the most glamorous couples of the 1960s. They became engaged, but their love story ended tragically, like in "Christine," their first film together in 1958.
Five years later, Delon parted ways with Schneider. In 1963, Schneider attempted suicide. Within a year, Delon married actress Francine Canovas, the only woman he ever married. They had a son named Anthony shortly after.
Among his famous "instant crushes," or loves at first sight, was model Rosalie van Breemen. Delon met the approximately 30-year-younger Dutch woman in 1987. Their relationship lasted about 15 years and resulted in two children, Anouchka and Alain-Fabien.
Delon also had a brief affair with German singer Nico, who died in 1988. She insisted throughout her life that Delon was the father of her son Christian Aaron "Ari" Paffgen, a claim Delon denied throughout his career.
Women played an essential role in both Delon's personal life and career. He once said in an interview with the French newspaper "Le Monde" that women were the reason he became an actor, made him, and gave him everything.
When Delon and Schneider appeared in "Christine" in 1958, he was 23, and she was three years younger. She was already a star, while he was just beginning his career. According to Thilo Wydra's 2020 dual biography "Eine Liebe in Paris. Romy & Alain," Schneider chose Delon for the role in the melodrama.
Actor and Delon friend Jean-Claude Brialy, quoted in the book, said Schneider was shown photos of several young actors, and she picked Delon. "I had nothing to offer but my physical appearance and lack of experience. When I found out they wanted me, I was speechless," Delon stated in an interview with the French daily "Le Figaro."
Delon's professional path was greatly shaped by Micheline Cordou. She was the spouse of Yves Allegret, the director of Delon's initial film "Beg for the Killers to Be Let." Brigitte Auber, an actress, introduced the charming young man to her.
Delon's good looks captivated not just women but also men, including the 30-years-older director Luchino Visconti. The duo collaborated on masterpieces like "The Leopard" and "Rocco and His Brothers." Visconti sought an actor who could embody both gentleness and brutality, as he shared with Kohly during his documentary. In the working-class drama, Delon portrayed a young Italian scrapping to preserve his family from impending ruin at all costs.
In the early 2000s, Delon went through a separation with Rosalie van Breemen. Post that, he largely lived alone. His acting roles have become sparse in recent years, with him making headlines now for his work as a film manufacturer, thoroughbred horse breeder, racehorse proprietor, and supporter of the right-wing Front National (FN). He even referred to the party's founder, Jean-Marie Le Pen, as a friend.
Delon suffered a stroke in 2019, from which he never fully recovered. In 2022, he announced his contemplation of assisted suicide in Switzerland, where he had resided for a considerable time. He told TV5 that one attains the right to depart in peace at a certain age. Yet, he was not granted this freedom. For extended periods, his three children, Anthony, Anouchka, and Alain-Fabien, competed over his care.
Delon continued to cultivate his myth throughout his life. "My existence is like an iceberg. The public only knows the summit," he once stated. His true self remains hidden from the public eye.
In his early acting career, Alain Delon played a role in the melodrama "Christine" alongside Romy Schneider, who chose him for the part despite his lack of experience. Paris, being a significant city in Delon's life, was rumored to be linked to him through involvement with the mafia during his early days.
