As a 25-year-old, French movie star Alain Delon was famously known as the “most seductive man in cinema history.”
When Delon appeared on screen, his striking looks left audiences breathless, and in real life, “ladies would pass out at the mere sight of him.”
However, behind his international sex symbol status from the 1960s to 1980s, Delon’s life was filled with controversies, including infidelities, family feuds, and even an accusation of murder.
In 2019, Delon experienced a stroke and retreated from the public eye, until his name reemerged on August 18, 2024, when he passed away at the age of 88.
Before Alain Delon turned 21, he found himself in trouble for stealing a Jeep while serving with the French Navy, celebrated his 20th birthday in prison, and mingled with the wrong crowd.
“I was disruptive, very undisciplined… I was a kind of little monster; very rough,” Delon told the Guardian.
Born on November 8, 1935, just outside Paris, Delon faced a tumultuous childhood and his teenage years were equally restless and rebellious, drawing him towards the “underworlds” of the Mediterranean.
In a 1970 interview with The New York Times, a 34-year-old Delon admitted, “Most of the gangsters I know… were my friends before I became an actor.” He continued, “I don’t worry about what a friend does. Each is responsible for his own act. It doesn’t matter what he does.”
And if it weren’t for the myriad women lusting after him, his life could have taken a different direction.
Speaking with a French publication at the age of 82, Delon – labeled a “megalomaniac” by GQ – revealed why he decided to share his handsome face with the world: “I want to see in the eyes of these women that I am the most handsome, the tallest, the strongest, and that is why I became an actor.”
Dominated French Cinema
Leaning on his perfectly chiseled cheekbones and icy blue eyes that melted hearts, Delon shot to fame in 1959’s Women are Weak, a French comedy that brought him to international audiences.
His next iconic role was Tom Ripley in the 1960 film Plein Soleil (Purple Moon), based on the book The Talented Mr. Ripley, a story that was famously remade in 1999 with Matt Damon.
From the 60s to the mid-80s, Delon dominated the national box office and became the highest-paid actor in France’s history.
Though he had great success in European cinema, he didn’t achieve the same level of acclaim in Hollywood. One notable exception was his performance with Burt Lancaster in the 1973 film Scorpio, where Delon played an apprentice hitman named Scorpio.
National Scandal
Delon’s career extended beyond acting into various business ventures. Leveraging his fame and looks, he created a successful brand in the world of cosmetics. Additionally, he invested in a racehorse stable alongside Jacky “Le Mat” Imbert, a notorious figure in the Marseille criminal underworld.
Delon’s connections with the criminal world became more public when a scandal known as the “Markovic Affair” erupted. The controversy began when Stefan Markovic, a former bodyguard and confidant of Delon, was found dead with a bullet in his head in a bag discarded near Paris. This shocking discovery led to an investigation that put Delon in the spotlight. Although he was interrogated and ultimately cleared of any involvement, the affair became a national scandal, highlighting his shady connections.
Love, Affairs, and Kids
In 1959, Delon was engaged to actor Romy Schneider, whom he met on the set of the 1958 film Christine. Before their split in 1964, he had an affair with Nico, a German actor and singer, during which their son, Christian Boulogne, was born in 1962. Denied by Delon, Boulogne (also known as Ari Päffgen) died in 2023 of an apparent overdose.
Also in 1962, during an affair with Austrian actor Marisa Mell, Delon married his only wife, Nathalie Barthélémy (now Delon), who was pregnant with Anthony Delon, born in September 1964.
Following several more affairs, Delon met Dutch model Rosalee van Breemen. During their relationship from 1987 to 2001, the couple had two children, daughter Anouchka (born 1990) and Alain-Fabien (1994).
All three of Delon’s children pursued acting careers in French cinema.
Family Feud
Delon never established close relationships with his sons, making it clear that he had a favorite child.
“I have a daughter who is the love of my life, perhaps a little too much with regard to the others,” he told the Guardian. “To no other woman have I so often said ‘I love you.’”
Delon arranged his will so that half of his estate goes to Anouchka, while the other half is split between sons Anthony and Alain-Fabien.
French daily paper Le Monde suggests Delon’s troubles with his sons stem from seeing them as industry rivals. “No doubt his ego – as uncertain as it was immense – made him consider his sons as potential rivals who he needed to smash,” the publication reported.
Death
In 2019, Delon suffered a stroke, which left him disabled. Retreating from the spotlight, he became reclusive.
On August 18, 2024, the acclaimed actor who made hearts around the world throb, passed away at age 88, as reported by French media.
French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute on X, describing Delon as “a French monument.”
“Alain Delon has played legendary roles and made the world dream,” Macron wrote. “Melancholic, popular, secretive, he was more than a star.”
Despite the bitter feud, Delon’s children shared loving tributes on social media. “Thanks to all of you, his beloved audience, for these spontaneous tributes from the heart,” Anthony wrote in an August 27 Instagram post. “It is by grace and through you that he will continue to live.”
On the same day, Alain-Fabien shared a sweet tribute, including a photo of him with his elderly father.
“Lowering the curtain, eternal beautiful night. I know you found them up there and you’re okay. I miss you so much. I love you, Daddy,” he wrote before signing off, “Alf.”
The day before her stepbrothers shared their thoughts, Anouchka expressed her feelings on Instagram.
Rest in peace, Alain Delon. What are your favorite films with this incredible actor? Please share your thoughts with us and share this story with your friends so we can send our very best to the family in their time of grief.
