Alain Delon Heart-throb and enfant terrible of French cinema

Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon Arnold is the full name of the French actor Alain Delon. Born in the Parisian suburb of Sceaux in 1935, to Edith, a pharmacist, and Fabien, the manager of a small neighbourhood theatre. The couple separated when Alain was just four years old, which marked the start of a difficult childhood for the future actor.

TEXT: EVA DEL AMO

Once it became evident that neither of Alain’s parents could take care of him, the boy was placed in a foster home. However, his foster parents died prematurely, resulting in him being sent to a Catholic boarding school, the first of an endless list of schools from which he was eventually expelled due to his unruly behaviour.

At the age of 17, after working for a brief time in his stepfather’s butcher shop, Alain enlisted in the French Navy, and in 1953 he was sent to serve as a fusilier marin in the First Indochina War. After his discharge, he returned to France and worked in various odd jobs, as a porter, waiter and salesman.

A Meteoric Career

In 1957, his friend Jean-Claude Brialy, who was just starting out in his acting career, invited Alain to accompany him to the Cannes Film Festival. A talent scout, dazzled by his good looks and self-confidence, offered Alain a seven-year contract as an actor in the USA, on the condition that he learned English. However, French director Yves Allégret convinced him to pursue his career in France. A wise decision, given that after appearing in a supporting role with JeanPaul Belmondo, he landed his first leading role with Romy Schneider, with whom he would have a passionate love affair.

Years later, Alain Delon confessed that Romy Schneider was the true love of his life. After just a few months, and even though they were already engaged and their relationship constantly featured in the tabloids, he ended the relationship, unable to avoid being attracted to other women. Despite this fact, the actress would remain his most faithful life-long friend.

During the 60s and 70s, Delon became the heart-throb of European cinema and the most emblematic face of French cinema, starring in films directed by Luchino Visconti, such as Bright Sun and Rocco and His Brothers, and years later, The Leopard.

GOOD LOOKS, TALENT AND SUCCESS

The actor’s good looks and “tough guy” vibe, added to his innate talent for acting, made Alain Delon a classic of European cinema. He always had a reputation as an enfant terrible, even moreso after it became public knowledge that he had contacts in the criminal underworld, and had also been involved in sexual scandals in his private life. Despite all this, the man who for many was the French James Dean, gradually gained film star status.

After successful films such as The Eclipse and A Man’s Silence, and being nominated for a César award for Best Actor for Mr. Klein, one of the most outstanding roles of his career, Delon also tried his luck behind the screen as a producer. In 1985, he received the César Award for Best Actor for his role in Our Story. And in 2019, he won the Palme d’Or for his entire career at the Cannes International Film Festival. “It’s more than the end of a career. It feels like the end of a lifetime. It’s like I’m receiving a posthumous tribute, but while still alive,” was the actor’s emotive comment as he collected the award.

His Private Life

In his private life, Alain Delon had numerous affairs. In 1963, he had a relationship with the German singer, Nico, with whom he had a son, Ari, although his paternity was not recognised until it was determined by a court.

In 1964, he married the Moroccan-born French actress, Nathalie Canovas, with whom he had his second son, Anthony Delon, who also followed in his footsteps in the world of cinema. Af- ter his divorce, he got married again, to Rosalie Van Breemen, a model, actress and writer. They had two children, Alain-Fabien and Anouchka, who has accompanied her father to numerous awards and prizes.

“I do very well three things: my job, stupidities and children.’’ Delon said, when journalists asked him about his private life.

Apart from triumphing in the film world, Delon was also a successful entrepreneur, dedicated to his art collection, horse-racing, promoting boxing events, and various advertising campaigns, such as those representing Christian Dior, in 2009 and 2015.

The actor became a Swiss citizen in 1999 and moved to Switzerland. A few months ago, his name once again appeared on the front pages of the world’s newspapers when it was published that he had requested euthanasia as a result of his precarious state of health, having suffered a stroke from which he has never fully recovered. This point was clarified by his son, who stated that his father was in favour of euthanasia, but had not requested it.

In any case, throughout his lifetime Alain Delon has always known how to make the most of his looks and innate talent, proving that every moment of life can be lived to the full, as he did, both on and off screen.

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