French actor Alain Delon dies at 88 years old
The performer died "in the middle of the night" at his home in Douchy, France. He will be remembered for his roles in renowned films such as "Purple Noon" (1959), "The Samurai" (1967) and "The Red Circle" (1970).
Actor Alain Delon during the premiere of the film "Zulu," which debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in 2013.
Legendary French film actor Alain Delon passed away on Sunday at the age of 88 at his home in Douchy, France.
The sad news was announced by his three children who, they said in a statement obtained by AFP, were by his side until the well-known performer passed away "very early in the middle of the night."
"Alain Fabien, Anouchka, Anthony and (his dog) Loubo announce with deep regret the passing of their father. He passed away peacefully at his home in Douchy, surrounded by his three children and his family."
The statement, in which the "family asks that its privacy be respected at this time of extremely painful grief," added that "the actor from 'Purple Noon' and 'The Silence of a Man' has gone to meet [the Virgin] Mary among the stars so dear to him."
Known for his roles in "The Samurai," "The Red Circle" and "The Leopard," Delon worked on a total of 122 feature films (88 of them as an actor, two as a director and another 32 as a producer) and disappeared from the big screen in the 1990s, especially after the resounding failure of the film "One of Two," in which he starred alongside another great French actor of the time, Jean-Paul Belmondo (1933-2021), with whom he also collaborated on seven other projects.
2019, Alain Delon's fateful year
Despite being away from the big screen, BBC recalled that the performer returned to the spotlight in 2019 when his children sued his partner, Hiromi Rollin, whom they described from time to time as his companion but who, for taking advantage of the actor's old age and weakness.
Months later, his three children again made French headlines by going to to court. This time, they sued each other for neglecting the health of their father who had a lymphoma and had just suffered a stroke, the family claimed at the time.
That same year also brought him his greatest professional joy. In 2019, Alain Delon reappeared at the Cannes Film Festival to receive an honorary Palme d'Or that he accepted in tears and with a speech with which he said goodbye forever to the big screen.
"It's a posthumous tribute, but in life."
The honorary Palme d'Or was not the only award Alain Delon received during his extensive career. The performer, who first appeared on the big screen in 1957, also received a Cesar Award for Best Actor for his role in Bertrand Blier's film, "Our Story" (1985) as well as a Bear of Honor at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1995.
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