French film star Alain Delon dead at 88
French film star Alain Delon has died at the age of 88, French news agency AFP reported on Sunday, citing his three children.
"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," a statement posted on X said.
It added that the family had asked for privacy.
Delon featured in more than 80 feature-length films from the late 1950s onwards until 2008, when he played Julius Caesar in "Asterix at the Olympic Games."
He is best known for playing gangsters and criminals in films such as "Purple Noon," "Le Samoura?," "The Sicilian Clan" and "Borsalino," working with the top European directors of the day, from Luchino Visconti and Jean-Luc Godard to Michelangelo Antonioni and Louis Malle.
Delon also appeared in the epic historical drama "The Leopard" alongside Burt Lancaster and Claudia Cardinale.
A period of more intimate films followed until a return to action drama in "Parole de flic" in 1985, in which he played a former police officer returning to France to avenge the murder of his daughter.
French President Emmanuel Macron described Delon as a figure of national stature. "Melancholy, loved, mysterious, he was more than a star, rather a French cultural monument," Macron posted on X.
German director Volker Schl?ndorff, who directed Delon in the 1984 film "Swann in Love", told dpa that he recalled the star's "charismatic presence."
Italian star Claudia Cardinale, who worked with Delon in "The Leopard," told Italian media she was too sad to comment and expressed condolences to his family.
In later life, Delon's support for the far right made him a controversial figure in France.
He also had a string of highly-publicized relationships with several women, including Romy Schneider, following their roles as co-stars in "Christine" in 1958. They broke up in 1964 after making several films together. As late as 2018, Delon described Schneider as the love of his life.
Delon also began a relationship with Dutch model Rosalie van Breemen in 1987, fathering two children with her before they separated in 2001.
He received the Honourary Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019 for his life's work.
