Alain Delon
- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon was born in Sceaux, Hauts-de-Seine,
France, to Édith (Arnold) and Fabien Delon. His father was of French
and Corsican Italian descent, and his mother was of French and German
ancestry. His parents divorced early on, and Delon had a stormy
childhood, being frequently expelled from school.
In 1953/1954 he served with the French Marines in
Indochina. In the
mid-'50s he worked at various odd jobs including waiter, salesman and
porter in Les Halles market. He decided to try an acting career and in 1957 made his film debut in Yves Allégret's
Quand la femme s'en mêle (1957).
He declined an offer of a contract from producer
David O. Selznick, and in 1960 he
received international recognition for his role in
Luchino Visconti's
Rocco and His Brothers (1960).
In 1961 he appeared on the stage in
"'Tis a Pity She's a Whore", directed by Visconti, in Paris. In 1964 he formed his own production company, Delbeau Productions, and he produced a short
film directed by Guy Gilles.
In 1968 he found himself involved in murder, drug and sex scandal that
indirectly implicated major politicians and show-business
personalities, but he was eventually cleared of all charges. In the
late 1960s he formed another company. Adel Film, and the next year he
began producing features. In 1981 he directed his first film,
To Kill a Cop (1981).
Delon was a sensation early in his career; he came to embody the young,
energetic, often morally corrupted man. With his breathtaking good
looks he was also destined to play tender lovers and romantic heroes,
and he was a French embodiment of the type created in America by
James Dean. His first outstanding
success came with the role of the parasite Tom Ripley in 'Rene
Clement''s sun-drenched thriller
Purple Noon (1960). Delon presented
a psychological portrait of a murderous young cynic who attempts to
take on the identity of his victim. A totally different role was
offered to him by Visconti in
Rocco and His Brothers (1960).
In this film Delon plays the devoted Rocco, who accepts the greatest
sacrifices to save his shiftless brother Simon.
After several other films in Italy, Delon returned to the criminal
genre with Jean Gabin in
Any Number Can Win (1963).
This work, a classic example of the genre, was distinguished not only
by a soundly worked-out screenplay, but also by the careful production
and the excellent performances of both Delon and Gabin. It was only in
the late 1960s that the sleek and lethal Delon came to epitomize the
calm, psychopathic hoodlum, staring into the camera like a cat
assessing a mouse. His tough, ruthless side was first used to real
effect by Jean-Pierre Melville in
The Samurai (1967). In 1970 he had a
huge success in the bloodstained
Borsalino (1970)--which he also
produced--playing a small-time gangster in the 1930s who, with
Jean-Paul Belmondo, becomes king of
the Marseilles underworld. Delon later won critical acclaim for his
roles, against type, in Joseph Losey's
Mr. Klein (1976) in which he played
(brilliantly) the icily sinister title role, and the art-movie
Swann in Love (1984). He
has an older son Anthony Delon (who has
also acted in a number of movies) from his first marriage to
Nathalie Delon, and has a young son and
daughter, Alain-Fabien and Anouchka with Rosalie.
France, to Édith (Arnold) and Fabien Delon. His father was of French
and Corsican Italian descent, and his mother was of French and German
ancestry. His parents divorced early on, and Delon had a stormy
childhood, being frequently expelled from school.
In 1953/1954 he served with the French Marines in
Indochina. In the
mid-'50s he worked at various odd jobs including waiter, salesman and
porter in Les Halles market. He decided to try an acting career and in 1957 made his film debut in Yves Allégret's
Quand la femme s'en mêle (1957).
He declined an offer of a contract from producer
David O. Selznick, and in 1960 he
received international recognition for his role in
Luchino Visconti's
Rocco and His Brothers (1960).
In 1961 he appeared on the stage in
"'Tis a Pity She's a Whore", directed by Visconti, in Paris. In 1964 he formed his own production company, Delbeau Productions, and he produced a short
film directed by Guy Gilles.
In 1968 he found himself involved in murder, drug and sex scandal that
indirectly implicated major politicians and show-business
personalities, but he was eventually cleared of all charges. In the
late 1960s he formed another company. Adel Film, and the next year he
began producing features. In 1981 he directed his first film,
To Kill a Cop (1981).
Delon was a sensation early in his career; he came to embody the young,
energetic, often morally corrupted man. With his breathtaking good
looks he was also destined to play tender lovers and romantic heroes,
and he was a French embodiment of the type created in America by
James Dean. His first outstanding
success came with the role of the parasite Tom Ripley in 'Rene
Clement''s sun-drenched thriller
Purple Noon (1960). Delon presented
a psychological portrait of a murderous young cynic who attempts to
take on the identity of his victim. A totally different role was
offered to him by Visconti in
Rocco and His Brothers (1960).
In this film Delon plays the devoted Rocco, who accepts the greatest
sacrifices to save his shiftless brother Simon.
After several other films in Italy, Delon returned to the criminal
genre with Jean Gabin in
Any Number Can Win (1963).
This work, a classic example of the genre, was distinguished not only
by a soundly worked-out screenplay, but also by the careful production
and the excellent performances of both Delon and Gabin. It was only in
the late 1960s that the sleek and lethal Delon came to epitomize the
calm, psychopathic hoodlum, staring into the camera like a cat
assessing a mouse. His tough, ruthless side was first used to real
effect by Jean-Pierre Melville in
The Samurai (1967). In 1970 he had a
huge success in the bloodstained
Borsalino (1970)--which he also
produced--playing a small-time gangster in the 1930s who, with
Jean-Paul Belmondo, becomes king of
the Marseilles underworld. Delon later won critical acclaim for his
roles, against type, in Joseph Losey's
Mr. Klein (1976) in which he played
(brilliantly) the icily sinister title role, and the art-movie
Swann in Love (1984). He
has an older son Anthony Delon (who has
also acted in a number of movies) from his first marriage to
Nathalie Delon, and has a young son and
daughter, Alain-Fabien and Anouchka with Rosalie.