World-renowned ‘handsome actor’ Alain Delon passes away… Leading the golden age of French cinema in the 60s

by times news cr

French actor Alain Delon (pictured), who was considered a world-famous actor and a synonym for ‘handsome actors’, passed away on the 18th (local time). He was 88 years old. The deceased gained fame for playing the lead role of Tom Ripley in his masterpiece ‘Plein Soleil’ (1960), and led the golden age of French cinema in the 1960s.

According to AFP on that day, the deceased’s children said in a statement, “The three children Alain-Fabienne, Anoushka and Anthony and their dog Lubo announce the death of their father,” and “The deceased passed away peacefully at his home in Doucy, France, surrounded by his family.” French President Manuel Macron paid tribute to X on that day, saying, “He was more than a star. He was a monument to France.”

World-renowned ‘handsome actor’ Alain Delon passes away… Leading the golden age of French cinema in the 60s

Alain Delon, born near Paris, France in 1935, made his debut in the 1957 film “When Women Come Closer.” With his outstanding appearance, he rose to stardom as soon as he debuted, and since then, he has appeared in over 90 films, including the biggest hit “Plein Soleil,” “Midnight Killers,” “Zorro,” and “Mr. Klein.” He received the Honorary Golden Bear Award at the 1995 Berlin International Film Festival and the Honorary Palme d’Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. The French film “Asterix the Olympics,” which he appeared in in 2008, was his last film.

In his early days as a handsome actor, he mainly played the male lead in romantic films, but later tried to break away from his image by playing villain roles such as criminals. A representative example is ‘The Full Sun’, which opened the golden age of French noir films. In this film, he played the role of a protagonist who comes from a poor family, but kills his classmate who is the son of a rich family and pretends to be him. The deceased captivated the audience’s attention with his performance that charmed those around him with his strong yet gentle side. ‘The Full Sun’ was remade into the Hollywood film ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’ (1999), starring Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jude Law.

He left a significant mark on Italian film history by appearing in films such as ‘Rocco and His Brothers’ directed by famous Italian directors. He once attempted to enter Hollywood, but was unsuccessful at the box office, so he moved his activities back to Europe.

After his parents divorced when he was young, he volunteered for the French Navy and fought in the First Indochina War. After his discharge, he worked as a waiter and a porter before catching the eye of American film producer David Selznick, who was visiting France for the Cannes Film Festival, and entering the film industry. In an interview with French media in 2018, he recalled, “I am grateful that I inherited my good looks from my mother,” and “When I was young, there were so many people who wanted to touch me because I was so handsome that my mother put a sign on my stroller that said, ‘Look, don’t touch. ’”

The deceased, who had been battling an illness since being diagnosed with a stroke in 2019, expressed his support for euthanasia in 2021. In a media interview at the time, he said, “Euthanasia is the most logical and natural thing to do,” and “I have the right to leave this world quietly without being put on life support.” In 2022, his eldest son, Anthony, revealed that “I received a request for euthanasia from my father.” However, since euthanasia is currently illegal in France, it is unlikely that the deceased died by euthanasia. During his lifetime, he was also openly anti-immigration, such as being close to far-right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen.

Reporter Kim Ki-yoon [email protected]

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2024-08-18 13:06:31

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