Legendary French film star Alain Delon dies aged 88

Delon rose to international fame in the 1960s with roles in classic films such as Purple Noon (1960), The Leopard (1963) and Le Samouraï (1969).

With his handsome looks and tender manner, the prolific actor was able to combine toughness with an appealing, vulnerable quality that made him one of France’s memorable leading men.

French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute on X to “a French monument."

“Alain Delon has played legendary roles and made the world dream,” he wrote. “Melancholic, popular, secretive, he was more than a star.”

His three children announced in a joint statement on Sunday: "Alain Fabien, Anouchka, Anthony, as well as (his dog) Loubo, are immensely saddened to announce the departure of their father."

"He passed away peacefully at his home in Douchy, surrounded by his three children and his family (...) His family kindly asks you to respect his privacy, at this time of extremely painful mourning."

Born on 8 November 1935 in Sceaux near Paris, Delon rose to international fame in the 1960s with roles in classic films such as Purple Noon (1960), The Leopard (1963) and Le Samouraï (1969).

At the prime of his career, in the 1960s and 1970s, Delon was sought out by some of the world’s top directors, from Luchino Visconti to Joseph Losey.

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