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Alain Delon
Alain Delon (born 8 November 1935) is a French actor, one of the best known outside his native country. Delon’s star rose quickly, and by the age of twenty-three he was garnering comparisons to French screen legends such as Gérard Philipe and Jean Marais, as well as American actor James Dean. He was even called the male Brigitte Bardot. Not wanting to fall back on his looks, Delon tried to take roles that presented him with more of a challenge. In particular he took parts playing a thief or gangster. One of the remarkable qualities about Delon’s performances is that despite the immorality of many of the characters he plays, he manages to make them charming, and even likeable. Over the course of his career, Delon has worked with legendary directors, including Luchino Visconti, Jean-Luc Godard, Jean-Pierre Melville, Michelangelo Antonioni, and Louis Malle.
Youth
Delon was born in Sceaux, a Paris suburb. His parents, Fabien and Édith, divorced when Delon was young. Both remarried, and Delon has a half-sister, and two half-brothers.He attended a Catholic boarding school, the first of several schools from which he was expelled, due to unruly behavior. Despite this behavior he was more than competent as a student. Teachers once tried to convince him to enter the priesthood due to his aptitude in religious studies.
At fourteen Delon left school, and worked for a brief time at his stepfather's butcher shop. He enlisted in the army three years later, and in 1953 was sent to fight in the First Indochina War. Delon has said that out of his five years of military service he spent 11 months in prison for being "undisciplined". After being dishonorably discharged from the army he returned to Paris. He had no money, and got by on whatever employment he could find. He spent time working as a waiter, a porter, and a sales clerk. During this time he became friends with the actress Brigitte Auber, and joined her on a trip to the Cannes Film Festival, where his film career would begin.
Career
At Cannes, Delon was seen by a talent scout for David O. Selznick. After a successful screen test Selznick offered him a contract, provided he learn English. Delon returned to Paris to study English, but when he met French director Yves Allegret, he was convinced that he should stay in France to begin his career. Selznick allowed Delon to cancel his contract, and Allegret gave him his debut in the film Quand la Femme s'en Mele (When the Woman Butts In). Delon then got to show a comedic aspect of himself in the film Faibles Femmes (Women Are Weak). This was also the first of his films to be seen in America, where it became a success.
The first role to really test Delon as a serious actor was in René Clement's Purple Noon, which was based on the Patricia Highsmith novel The Talented Mr. Ripley. Delon played killer Tom Ripley, and the film went on to be very well received.
But it was Visconti's Rocco and His Brothers that helped solidify Delon's status as an important new actor. Critic Bosley Crowther of the New York Times said Delon's work was: "touchingly pliant and expressive." John Beaufort, in the Christian Science Monitor said: "Rocco's heartbroken steadfastness furnishes the film with the foremost of its ironic tragedies... Its believability rests finally on Mr. Delon's compelling performance." In 1964, the Cinematheque Francaise held a showcase of Delon's films. That he received this honor so soon into his career distinguished him from most other young stars.
Delon’s stage debut came in 1961. He performed John Ford’s play, 'Tis Pity She’s a Whore co-starring Romy Schneider in Paris. The production was directed by Visconti, who Delon would work with again for Il Gattopardo (The Leopard).
Many directors chose to work with Delon time and time again. Among these is Jean-Pierre Melville. Melville directed Delon in Un Flic, Le Cercle Rouge, and most notably in Le Samourai, which is widely regarded as one of Delon’s finest performances.
In 1964, Delon started a production company, Delbeau Production, with Georges Beaume. They produced a film called L’insoumis, which had to be re-edited due to legal issues. Delon then started his own production company, Adel. He produced and starred in the company’s first film, Jeff. Delon followed the success of the film with Borsalino, which became one of France’s highest grossing films of the time.
In 1973, he made a duet with the French pop singer Dalida on "Paroles, paroles", which was a big hit in France, Japan, Canada, and many other countries.
He was awarded the Best Actor César Awards (equivalent of French Oscars) for his role in Bertrand Blier's "Notre histoire" (1984). But, after a string of box office failures in the late 1980s and 1990s, culminating in the surprising box-office failure of Patrice Leconte's Une chance sur deux, Delon announced his decision to give up acting in 1997. Now in his early 70s, Delon occasionally accepts roles. In 1990, he worked with auteur Jean-Luc Godard, on a film called Nouvelle vague in which he played twins.
In 2003, the Walter Reade Theater did a series entitled Man in the Shadows: The Films of Alain Delon.
Most recently, it has been announced that he will play a role in a film called L’Ennemi public n. 1, a project to which French actor Vincent Cassel is also attached.
In January 2007, he will perform stage The Bridges of Madison County with Mireille Darc at Théâtre Marigny in Paris.
Relationships and Family
Delon was engaged to actress Romy Schneider, whom he met when they appeared together in the film Christine. In August of 1964, shortly after the broken engagement, he married Nathalie Barthelemy. Their son, Anthony Delon was born in September. The couple divorced four years later. He had a long relationship with French actress Mireille Darc over the following years. In the 1990's, he became a father again to two children, Anouchka and Alain-Fabien, with Dutch model, Rosalie van Breemen (they met in 1987 on the shooting of the video clip of his song "Comme au cinéma"). Delon and Van Breemen separated in 2002.
It was speculated that he had an affair with German actress and singer Nico. In 1962, Nico had a son, Christian Aaron Boulogne, and claimed that he was fathered by Delon. Delon has stated many times that he is not the father.
Scandal
In 1968, Alain Delon’s bodyguard, a Serb - Stevan Markovic, was found shot in the head in a dumpster outside Delon’s home. Delon’s friend, Corsican gangster Francois Marcantoni, was charged with accessory to murder. Alain Delon himself was held by police for questioning, despite the fact that the murder took place in Paris, and Delon was filming in St. Tropez. His ex-wife Nathalie was taken in for questioning as well. |
