Biography for
Alain Delon More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

8 November 1935, Sceaux, Hauts-de-Seine, France

Height

5' 11¾" (1.82 m)

Mini Biography

The product of a broken home, Alain Delon had a stormy childhood. He was frequently expelled from school.

During the early 1950s he was a paratrooper with 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, Pour la peau d'un flic (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 Le Samouraï (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.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Sarah <kmjac2@pfs01.cc.monash.edu.au>

Spouse

Rosalie van Breemen	(1987 - 2001) (divorced) 2 children
Nathalie Delon	(13 August 1964 - 14 February 1969) (divorced) 1 child

Trivia

Featured on the cover of the music album "The Queen is Dead" by the Smiths (1986)

Father of Ari Boulogne with Nico.

Worked together with Claude Jade and Curd Jürgens in Russia

Has two children with Rosalie van Breemen, a daughter, Anouchka Delon (born in 1990) and a son, Alain Delon Jr. (born in 1994).

Father of Anthony Delon

Was engaged to actress Romy Schneider (1959-1963).

Has his look-alike puppet in the French show "Les guignols de l'info" (1988).

He is a friend of French actress Brigitte Bardot.

Sang in hit song "Paroles, Paroles" with late singer Dalida.

Owns a restaurant called "Camargue" in Nice, France.

Has partially Corsican ancestry.

Has been expelled six times from different schools, as a child.

Is long time friends with actor Jean-Claude Brialy.

Father was named Fabien (1904-1977) and mother was named Edith (1911-1995).

Has dual citizenship: French and Swiss. Aquired Swiss citizenship in 1999.

Received the "Legion d'Honneur", the highest French decoration for his career.

Participated to the war of Indochina, when he was a soldier in the French army.

Originally wanted to be a butcher.

His stepfather Paul Boulogne was a butcher.

Is a Gaullist (an admirer of 'Charles De Gaulle', and consequently, a center rightist).

Has his own perfume, it's called "AD".

Has his own brand "Alain Delon Diffusion SA", which sells perfumes, champaign, clothes, watches, Cognac, glasses.

Has a horse named "Equileo".

Sang song "Comme Au Cinéma" in 1987.

Accepted starring role in Zorro (1975/I) to please his son Anthony Delon, who was a child at the time.

Has two grand-daughters: Loup and Liv, by his son Anthony Delon.

Longtime companion of actress Mireille Darc from 1968 to 1982.

Created a horse racing team with which he won the World Champion title for trotter with his horse "Equileo".

Lives on his estate in Douchy, France (Departement Loiret).

Italian rock group "Baustelle" wrote a song entitled "La canzone di Alain Delon" ("The song of Alain Delon").

One of the most favourite western stars in Japan

His childhood favourite star was John Garfield.

Has supported Nicolas Sarkozy's 2007 presidential campaign.

Indie band The Margarets wrote a song called "Alain Delon".

Fluent in French, Italian and English.

Band White Town wrote song "Hair like Alain Delon".

Broke the relationship with his mother after she insisted on taking care of his son Ari, product of a relationship with Actress/Supermodel Nico. They spoke again when his step-father died in 1988, the same year Nico died.

In 1968, one of Delon's bodyguards, Stevan Markovic, was found shot in the head in a dumpster outside Delon's home. Delon's friend, Corsican gangster François Marcantoni, was charged with accessory to murder. 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. Delon's then-wife, Nathalie, was also questioned.

Ranked # 72 on Premier magazine's The 100 Sexiest Movie Stars of All Time list in 2008.

Grandfather of Alyson Le Borges (by Anthony Delon and Marie-Helene Le Borges).

Lived with Rosalie van Breemen 1987-2002. Rosalie was 21 when she met Alain who was 52.

Owned home in Morocco.

Also has a home in Geneva, Switzerland since 1985.

Had a relationship with his former co-star Anne Parillaud in the '80s.

Got custody of Alain-Fabien in 2010.

Has a half-sister and two half-brothers.

Was allegedly paid 60,000 euros to attend a gala at the Museum of Modern Art in Paris.

Had heart surgery on April 2012 in Neuilly-sur-Seine outside Paris.

Had a relationship with Catherine Goux (aka Pironi, Bleynie) ex-wife of Didier Pironi in the 80s.

Sued Anthony Delon for naming his leather apparel "A.Delon" as a brand and won in court in the 80s.

Personal Quotes

I like to be loved like I love myself.

I do very well three things: my job, stupidities and children.

In love, we have to dare everything if we really love.

I knew everything and received everything. But real happiness, is giving.

I don't really have the fear of death. I think to life.

You believe in God, then you don't believe anymore and when you have a big problem, you pray anyway...

Jean-Marie Le Pen is a friend. He is dangerous for the political set because he's the only one who's sincere. He says out loud what many people think deep down, and what the politicians refrain from saying because they are either too demagogic or too chicken. Le Pen, with all his faults and qualities, is probably the only one who thinks about the interests of France before his own.

Salary

Une chance sur deux (1998)

€823,225

Where Are They Now

(2005) Breeding racehorses and looking after abandoned dogs on his estate in France.

(August 2007) Working in France on post production of "Asterix on Olympic game"