Alain Delon

Alain Delon, full named Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon is a French actor born on 8th November 1935 in Hauts-de-Seine, France. His parents, Edith Arnold and Fabien Delon got divorced when he was just 4 years old. After the divorce, he was given to the care of foster parents and upon their death, his custody was once again shared by his parents. Alain was enrolled in a Catholic Boarding School. This was the first of many schools from which he was expelled due to disorderly behavior. At the age of 14, he completely left his studies and briefly worked in his stepfather’s butcher shop. Later, at the age of 17, he got into French Navy serving in the First Indochina War.   

In 1956, Alain returned to France, and after his naval service, he started taking odd jobs including waiter, porter, etc. He then decided to try his luck in acting, and in 1957 he landed his first professional acting role in the movie Send a Women When the Devil Fails (1957). His first lead role came in the period romance Christine (1958) in which he played alongside Romy Schneider which whom he started a highly publicized romance. This film went on to become the 17th most popular film that year at the French box office. His most acclaimed films include Purple Noon (1960), Rocco and His Brothers (1960), and The Swimming Pool (1969) to name a few. Alain won Cesar (French Oscar) for Best Actor for his role in Notre Histoire (1985). He has received some honorary accolades including Honorary Palme d’Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and Honorary Golden Bear at the 45th Berlin International Film Festival. His last acting role was in 2011 when he appeared in the television movie titled Une journée ordinaire (2011).  

Alain Delon formed his production house in 1964 named Delbeau Productions producing his first short film which was directed by Guy Gilles. Moreover, in 1981, he began his directing career by directing Pour la peau d’un flic (1981). 

Alain’s life is not without controversies and one such incident occurred in 1968 when his bodyguard, Stevan Markovic, was shot dead just outside his home. His friend, Francois Marcantoni, a Corsican gangster was charged with the murder, and Alain was also questioned by the Police even though he was busy filming in St. Tropez while the murder took place in Paris. His wife at that time, Nathalie, was also questioned by the police for the gruesome murder. A year later, in 1969, for assaulting an Italian photographer, Alain was sentenced to four months by an Italian court.