Alain Delon was a legendary French cinema actor, often referred to as “France’s Oscar,” and a recipient of the prestigious César Award. He was one of the most influential and charismatic figures of European cinema, known for his striking screen presence and collaborations with some of the greatest directors in film history.

Alain Delon was born on November 8, 1935, in Sceaux, near Paris. His full name was Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon. His parents, Édith Delon and Fabien Delon, separated when he was very young, leading to a difficult and unstable childhood. He was raised in Sceaux and sent to a Roman Catholic boarding school, from which he was expelled multiple times due to behavioral issues.

Although his teachers attempted to persuade him to pursue the priesthood because of his interest in religion, Delon rejected the idea. At the age of fourteen, he left school and began working as a butcher in his stepfather’s shop. Three years later, he enlisted in the French army and was deployed in 1953. During his military service, he spent nearly five of his five years and eleven months in military prison due to disciplinary problems. After being discharged, he returned to Paris penniless and worked various jobs, including waiter, porter, and shop assistant.

During this period, Alain Delon met actress Brigitte Auber, with whom he attended the Cannes Film Festival. This trip marked the beginning of his acting career. At Cannes, he was discovered by talent scout David O. Selznick, passed a screen test, and signed a contract. After returning to Paris to learn English, he was persuaded by French director Yves Allégret to begin his career in France.

Delon made his acting debut in Quand la femme s'en mêle (1957), directed by Allégret, followed by Faibles femmes, which achieved international success. His rapid rise was extraordinary—by the age of 23, he was already being compared to French legends Gérard Philipe and Jean Marais, as well as American icon James Dean.

His stage debut came in 1961 with John Ford’s play ’Tis Pity She’s a Whore. In cinema, he achieved lasting fame with roles in Rocco and His Brothers, The Leopard, Le Samouraï, Le Cercle Rouge, Un Flic, and Borsalino. Throughout his career, he worked with renowned directors such as Luchino Visconti, Jean-Luc Godard, Jean-Pierre Melville, Michelangelo Antonioni, and Louis Malle.

In 1973, Alain Delon recorded the duet Paroles, Paroles with French pop singer Dalida, which became a worldwide success. In 1984, he won the César Award for Best Actor for his performance in Notre histoire, directed by Bertrand Blier.

After appearing in numerous films, Delon announced his retirement from acting in 1997, although he continued to make occasional appearances. He returned prominently to cinema in 2008, portraying Julius Caesar in Asterix at the Olympic Games. In 1999, he became a Swiss citizen.

Alain Delon was engaged to actress Romy Schneider between 1959 and 1963. He married Nathalie Delon (born Francine Canovas) on August 13, 1964; the couple divorced on February 14, 1969. They had one son, Anthony Delon, born on September 30, 1964. From 1987 to 2001, Delon lived with actress Rosalie van Breemen, with whom he had two children: Anouchka Delon (born 1990) and Alain-Fabien Delon (born 1994).

In August 2019, Alain Delon underwent surgery in Paris and spent three weeks in intensive care before recovering in Switzerland with his daughter Anouchka. On March 19, 2022, he publicly expressed his wish for euthanasia, stating: “Aging is terrible. We can do nothing. We lose our appearance and our sight. We cannot stand up, we feel pain. It is a great suffering.”

Alain Delon spent his final years at his estate in Douchy-Montcorbon, approximately 135 kilometers south of Paris. He died there on August 18, 2024, at the age of 89.

Filmography – Director
1981 – Pour la peau d'un flic
1982 – Le Choc
1983 – Mortelle randonnée

Filmography – Screenwriter
1976 – Comme un boomerang
1980 – Trois hommes à abattre
1981 – Pour la peau d'un flic
1982 – Le Choc
1983 – Mortelle randonnée
1985 – Ne réveillez pas un flic qui dort

Filmography – Producer
1970 – Madly
1973 – Deux hommes dans la ville
1974 – Borsalino & Co.
1975 – Le Gitan
1976 – Comme un boomerang
1977 – Mort d'un pourri
1979 – Le Toubib
1980 – Trois hommes à abattre
1981 – Pour la peau d'un flic
1983 – Mortelle randonnée
1985 – Ne réveillez pas un flic qui dort

Filmography – Actor
1957 – Sois belle et tais-toi
1957 – Quand la femme s'en mêle
1958 – Christine
1959 – Faibles femmes
1959 – Le chemin des écoliers
1960 – Plein Soleil
1960 – Rocco and His Brothers
1961 – Quelle joie de vivre
1961 – Les Amours célèbres
1962 – L’Amour à la mer
1962 – Carambolages
1962 – The Devil and the Ten Commandments
1962 – L’Eclisse
1963 – The Leopard
1963 – Mélodie en sous-sol
1963 – The Black Tulip
1963 – The Felines
1964 – L’Insoumis
1965 – Once a Thief
1965 – The Yellow Rolls-Royce
1965 – Is Paris Burning?
1966 – Texas, We’re Coming
1966 – The Centurions
1966 – The Adventurers
1967 – Diabolically Yours
1967 – Le Samouraï
1968 – Spirits of the Dead
1968 – Farewell, Friend
1968 – The Girl on a Motorcycle
1968 – La Piscine
1969 – Jeff
1969 – The Sicilian Clan
1969 – Madly
1970 – Borsalino
1970 – Le Cercle Rouge
1970 – Doucement les basses
1971 – Fantasia chez les ploucs
1971 – Red Sun
1971 – Un Flic
1971 – The Widow Couderc
1971 – The Assassination of Trotsky
1972 – The Professor
1972 – It Happened One Night… or Did It?
1972 – Traitement de choc
1973 – Scorpio
1973 – Deux hommes dans la ville
1973 – The Burned Barns
1973 – The Lords’ Breed
1973 – The Big Guns
1974 – Borsalino & Co.
1974 – Zorro
1974 – Les Seins de glace
1975 – Flic Story
1975 – Le Gitan
1976 – Monsieur Klein
1976 – Comme un boomerang
1976 – The Man in a Hurry
1976 – Armaguedon
1977 – Mort d’un pourri
1977 – Le Gang
1978 – Attention, les enfants regardent
1979 – The Concorde: Airport ’79
1979 – Le Toubib
1980 – Trois hommes à abattre
1980 – Teheran 43
1981 – Pour la peau d’un flic
1982 – Le Choc
1983 – Le Battant
1983 – Swann in Love
1984 – Notre histoire
1984 – Le Passage
1985 – Parole de flic
1988 – Ne réveillez pas un flic qui dort
1990 – Dancing Machine
1990 – Nouvelle Vague
1992 – Un Crime
1992 – The Return of Casanova
1993 – The Teddy Bear
1994 – Les Cent et une nuits
1996 – Le Jour et la nuit
1997 – Une chance sur deux
1999 – Les Acteurs
2003 – Frank Riva (TV Series – Season 1)
2004 – Frank Riva (TV Series – Season 2)
2006 – L’Instinct de mort
2008 – Asterix at the Olympic Games
2009 – Sidaction 2009 (TV Film)
2010 – The Last Leopard: Portrait of Goffredo Lombardo
2012 – Happy New Year, Moms
2012 – France Diary (Documentary)
2012 – Ladies and Gentlemen (Archive Footage)

Source: Biyografiler.com