Actor and ‘French monument’ Alain Delon dies aged 88

The French actor known for his roles in Le Samourai and Purple Noon also courted controversy with his far-right support.

French actor Alain Delon, viewed as a heartthrob by many and a chauvinist by some, has died at the age of 88.

The film actor known for leading roles in classics such as Purple Noon (1960) and Le Samourai (1967), died early on Sunday, his children told French media.

“Alain Fabien, Anouchka, Anthony, as well as [his dog] Loubo, are deeply saddened to announce the passing of their father. He passed away peacefully in his home in Douchy, surrounded by his three children and his family,” read his family’s statement to the AFP news agency, referring to the city in northcentral France where he spent the last years of his life.

French President Emmanuel Macron was among those who paid tribute to the late actor, calling him not just a legendary actor but a “monument”.

“Alain Delon played legendary roles and made the world dream. Lending his unforgettable face to turn our lives upside down,” Macron wrote on X.

“Melancholy, popular, secretive, he was more than a star: he was a French monument.”

Delon suffered a stroke in 2019.

Earlier this year, his son Anthony had said his father had been diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma, a type of cancer.

The former actor’s dwindling health was the cause of months of public family feuding.

While he was hardly on screen in the 1990s, Delon made headlines in 2023 when his three children filed a complaint against his live-in assistant Hiromi Rollin, accusing her of harassment and threatening behaviour.

Before Delon’s debilitating stroke, he made his last major public appearance on the red carpet to receive an honorary Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2019.

“It’s a bit of a posthumous tribute, but from my lifetime,” he had said upon receiving the award.

Far-right support

Delon’s physical appearance was his biggest asset for filmmakers in the 1960s and 70s, at the height of his career.

He set the template for one of Hollywood’s favourite tropes – the mysterious, cerebral hitman – with his performance as the silent killer in Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Samourai.

Directors from Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino to Hong Kong’s John Woo all have lauded the actor, although the former French actor never made it big in Hollywood.

And although he was adored by many, he also faced many criticisms.

He supported the polarising politician Jean-Marie Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Front (later renamed the National Rally), who advocates for the death penalty and speaks against homosexuality.

He has also faced controversy over his relationship with women, with his sons previously accusing him of domestic violence.

The self-described right-winger has also been mocked for his ego, where he often talked in the third person.

At a gala event honouring Delon at Cannes in 2019, he made a statement encapsulating his accomplishments. “One thing I’m sure about is that if there’s something I’m proud of, really, the only thing, it’s my career,” he said.