French film icon Alain Delon, who died on August 18, 2024, at the age of 88, was once considered “the most seductive man in film history.” With his piercing blue eyes and striking features, he captivated audiences and became a symbol of European glamour from the 1960s to the 1980s.
Born in 1935 near Paris, Delon had a difficult childhood – he was expelled from school, imprisoned at the age of 20, and moved into the criminal underworld. “I was a little monster,” he later admitted. These chaotic beginnings shaped both his personality and his friendships, which often included well-known gangsters.
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— Alain Delon Society (@DelonSociety) July 14, 2023
Delon’s breakthrough came in 1959, and his fame exploded after his starring role in “Purple Noon” (1960). Although he was a box office hit in Europe, he never fully conquered Hollywood—apart from a notable role in “Scorpio” (1973) with Burt Lancaster. Off-screen, he built a business empire around his image, even investing in racehorses with underworld figures.
His private life was equally dramatic. Delon had several high-profile relationships and three children, but his relationship with them was strained. He favored his daughter Anouchka and left her half of his fortune, while his sons Anthony and Alain-Fabien often clashed with him.
A major scandal—the Markovic Affair—briefly linked him to murder investigations in the late 1960s, although he was never charged. Later, after a stroke in 2019, Delon disappeared from public view.
After his death, numerous tributes poured in, including from President Macron, who called him a “French monument.” Despite the family’s troubled history, his children honored him with heartfelt messages.
From troubled rebel to film legend: Alain Delon led a life as intense and mysterious as his most famous roles.