Alain Delon's death at the age of 88 brings down the curtain of one of postwar European cinema's most important film stars. Known for his striking "movie star" look – chiselled features, piercing blue eyes – and magnetic screen presence, Delon portrayed characters who seemed on the surface to be effortless and suave. He was often described as feline.
But this outward gracefulness often masked a morally dubious, anti-hero persona. Beneath the sharp suits lay icy steel. A breakthrough role Born in 1935 in Sceaux, a wealthy Paris suburb, Delon had a difficult childhood, marked by his parents' divorce, a disrupted schooling and an unhappy stint in the French Navy.
After being spotted by a talent scout at the 1957 Cannes Film Festival, Delon's breakthrough came in 1960 with the French film Purple Noon, directed by René Clément. In this adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's novel The Talented Mr Ripley, Delon played the role of Tom Ripley, a charming but morally ambiguous forger and identity thief. Setting the standard for future screen versions of Ripley (played by the likes of Matt Damon and Andrew Scott), Delon's performance was widely acclaimed and established him as a rising star.
Rarely had audiences seen such a cool, enigmatic and morally compromised character. Highsmith was particularly impressed. A 1960s icon What followed was a glittering range of roles.
He collaborated twice with the great Italian director Luchino Visconti on Rocco and His Brothers (1960) and The Le.