Alain Delon, Legendary French Actor Known forRocco and His Brothers and Purple Noon, Dies at 88

Mar. 15, 2025

Alain Delon in 2019.Photo:Kurt Krieger/Corbis via Getty

Kurt Krieger/Corbis via Getty

Alain Delon, the legendary French actor known for films including 1960’sRocco and His BrothersandPurple Noon, has died. He was 88.

Delon’s family did not provide a cause of death, but one of the star’s sons, Anthony Delon, did reveal that the star’s health has been declining since he suffered a stroke in 2019, according toThe Washington PostandThe New York Times.

He was also diagnosed with a form of lymphoma, for which he began treatment in 2022.

Alain Delon in 1960.Gerard Landau\INA via Getty

Gerard Landau\INA via Getty

The actor and sex symbol’s storied career, which included over 80 films, began thanks to his role as iconic con artistTom Ripley in 1960’sPurple Noon. The late star also frequently made headlines for his romantic life and other scandals.

Born in Sceaux, France, in 1935, Delon had a tumultuous childhood. When he was 4, his parents got divorced and sent him to live with a foster family. When his foster parents died, his family then sent him to a boarding school. He enlisted in the military at age 17, served during the First Indochina War and later returned to France in 1956.

Alain Delon in 1965.Archive Photos/Getty

Archive Photos/Getty

Reflecting on the role decades later in 2018, Delon toldBritish GQ, “I had no idea what to do.”

“Allégret stared at me, just like that, and told me: ‘Listen to me, Alain. Speak as you are speaking to me. Stare as you are staring at me. Listen as you are listening to me. Don’t act. Live.’ It changed everything,” he recalled. “If Yves Allégret had not told me that, I would never have had this career.”

In 1960, he starred in bothPurple NoonandRocco and His Brothers, both of which earned international acclaim.

“Alain Delon as the sweet and loyal Rocco, the brother who emerges from deep pain to shoulder the burden of his wayward brother and the family responsibilities, is touchingly pliant and expressive,”The New York Timesraved in its review.

Alain Delon.Getty

Getty

He appeared in 1965’sThe Yellow Rolls-RoycealongsideShirley MacLaineand had his first Hollywood leading role in 1965’sOnce a Thief, oppositeAnn-Margret, with whom he became romantically involved.

However, Delon’s Hollywood career was severely limited because of his French accent, and he was often cast as the seductive European lover. He ultimately decided to focus on French and European cinema.

Alain Delon in 1978.J. Cuinieres/Roger Viollet via Getty

J. Cuinieres/Roger Viollet via Getty

Other major films for Delon included 1967’sLe Samouraï, 1968’sFarewell Friend, 1969’sLa Piscine, 1970’sLe Cercle Rouge, 1973’sTony Arzenta, 1975’sZorro, 1976’sMonsieur Klein and 1984’s Our Story, for which he won a César Award for best actor.

WhenLa Piscinescreened in New York in 2021,The New York Timeswrote, “Almost 10 years after his landmark roles as Tom Ripley inPurple Noonand Rocco inRocco and His Brothers… Delon still retained every iota of his ultra-sultriness. In dramatic roles, the actor, his sexy sleekness notwithstanding, tends toward a solemnity, and that suits him well here.”

Delon also appeared on the small screen a few times, including in the 2002 miniseriesFabio Montaleand the 2003 seriesFrank Riva. In 1973, he also released a song, duet “Paroles, paroles” with French singer Dalida.

Alain Delon in 1988.Daniel SIMON/Gamma-Rapho via Getty

Daniel SIMON/Gamma-Rapho via Getty

At the height of Delon’s career, he was occasionally embroiled in scandals. In 1968, he was questioned in the murder of Stevan Marković, his friend and bodyguard. Delon’s friend François Marcantoni was arrested for the murder but was later released, and the case was never solved.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Delon was in a relationship with hisChristinecostar Romy Schneider until 1964 when they broke up, in part, because of her family’s opposition to the romance. Delon maintained that Schneider, who died in 1982, was the love of his life.

Alain Delon in 1990.JEAN-PIERRE MULLER/AFP via Getty

JEAN-PIERRE MULLER/AFP via Getty

In 1961, he had an affair with Nico, a German actress. The next year, she gave birth to their son, Christian Aaron Boulogne, whom Delon never acknowledged, even after Boulogne sued him twice. Boulogne died in 2023.

In 1964, he married Nathalie Barthélémy, who was pregnant at the time. They welcomed a son, Anthony, later that year. The couple divorced in 1969, partly because of Delon’s continued infidelities.

Delon began a relationship with Rosalie van Breemen in 1987. They welcomed two children — Anouchka Delon and Alain-Fabien Delon, born in 1990 and 1994, respectively — before splitting in 2001.

In January 2024, following his stroke and lymphoma diagnosis, Delon’s care was placed under legal guardianship, amid fighting between his three children over his care and assets, perBarron’s.

Alain Delon in 2010.LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty

LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty

In 2019, Delon received the honorary Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for his long career. The festival was highly criticized for the choice, since Delon had a history of homophobic and sexist remarks and had vocallysupported France’s far-right political party.

“There is one thing in the world that I’m truly proud of, the only thing: It’s my career, and this Palme d’Or has been offered to me for my career and nothing else,” he said in his acceptance speech.

“Look, I had incredible luck. I’ve been happy all my life; I filmed with the best,” he toldBritish GQin 2018. “I did what I wanted, with who I wanted, when I wanted. I dwell on the past more than I think about the future, yes, because my past was extraordinary. Today just doesn’t compare. A life like I had doesn’t come around twice. That’s why when it comes to retirement, I have no regrets.”

source: people.com