Tributes have poured in for French film star Alain Delon who died peacefully in his home in Douchy, surrounded by his three children and his family at the age of 88. Regarded as the “male Brigitte Bardot”, Delon was often cast as the romantic heart-throb and starred in classics such as Plein Soleil , Le Samouraï , and Rocco and His Brothers. Leading the tributes, French president Emmanuel Macron said the actor “played legendary roles and made the world dream”, which cemented him as a national icon.
In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, he added: “Melancholy, popular, secretive, he was more than a star: he was a French monument.” The country’s culture minister Rachida Dati wrote: “We believe he was immortal ..
. his talent, his charisma, his aura made him destined for a Hollywood career at a young age, but he chose France.” Earlier this year, his son Anthony had said Delon had been been diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma, a type of cancer.
“His children, Alain Fabien, Anouchka, Anthony, as well as [his dog] Loubo, are deeply saddened to announce the passing of their father,” his family said in a statement. The actor had been in poor health in recent years, and had suffered a stroke in 2019. Over the past year, Delon’s fragile health condition had been at the heart of a family dispute over his care that gave rise to bitter exchanges through the media among his three children.
In April 2024 a judge placed Delon under “reinforced curatorship”, meaning he.