Alain Delon , the legendary actor and sex symbol who dominated French cinemas in the 1960s in films like “Le Samouraï” and “Purple Noon,” has died at the age of 88. The news was shared via a statement to AFP. Delon passed away in his longtime home in Douchy, France.
“He passed away peacefully in his home in Douchy, surrounded by his three children and his family,” the statement said. Per Deadline, French president Emmanuel Macron said in a translated statement , “Mr. Klein or Rocco, the Leopard or the Samurai, Alain Delon has played legendary roles and made the world dream.
Lending his unforgettable face to shake up our lives. Melancholic, popular, secretive, he was more than a star: a French monument.” Delon first rose to prominence in the 1959 comedy “Women Are Weak,” which was a major hit in France and frequently screened in America.
But his status as a serious actor came the next year with “Purple Noon” from director René Clément, based on the Patricia Highsmith novel “The Talented Mr. Ripley.” He quickly followed that with “Rocco and His Brothers,” the Luchino Visconti film that was poorly received upon its initial release but eventually came to be seen as a classic of the Italian neorealism movement.
Delon’s star continued to rise throughout the 1960s as his acting ability, charm, and stunning good looks propelled him to roles with many of the era’s best European directors. He reteamed with Visconti on “The Leopard” and Cle�.