French actor Alain Delon has died at the age of 88 after suffering from ill health, his family has announced.
The star was known for his roles in films such as Purple Noon in 1960, The Leopard in 1963, and Le Samourai in 1967.
A family statement said: “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.”
Delon died “very early in the middle of the night”, the statement said.
He had been in poor health since suffering a stroke in 2019 and rarely left his estate n Douchy, in France’s Val de
Loire region.
With his striking blue eyes, Delon was sometimes referred to as the “French Frank Sinatra” for his handsome looks – a comparison Delon disliked.
Directors from Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino to Hong Kong’s John Woo have acknowledged a debt to Delon’s performance as the silent killer in Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Samourai, which set the template for one of Hollywood’s favourite tropes – the mysterious, cerebral hitman.
A huge star in France and Japan, Delon never made it as big in Hollywood, despite starring alongside American cinema giants, including Burt Lancaster when the Frenchman played apprentice-hitman Scorpio in the 1973 film of the same name.
Delon’s last major public appearance was to receive an honorary Palme d’or at the Cannes film festival in May 2019.
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