Alain Delon, the icon of the golden age of French cinema, died at the age of 88

Delon starred in a string of classics and became one of the most prominent leading men of the 20th century thanks to his roles in hit films such as ‘Le Samouraï’, ‘Rocco and His Brothers’ and ‘The Leopard’ .

French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to the actor following the news of his death.

In a post shared on X, formerly Twitter, Macron described Delon as a “French monument”.

“Alain Delon played legendary roles and made the world dream,” he added. “Melancholic, popular, secretive, he was more than a star.”

Delon had been in poor health since suffering a stroke in 2019, according to AFP.

For the past few years, Delon’s three surviving children have been locked in a bitter public dispute over his health and care, accusing each other of mistreating their father amid his declining health.

Delon also had a fourth child, Ari Boulogne, born to Nico of the Velvet Underground, to whom he never acknowledged paternity. Boulogne died in 2023.

While Delon appeared in some of the biggest European films of the 1960s and 1970s, his biggest box-office success came late in his career when he played Julius Cesar in the 2008 comic book adaptation “Asterix at the Olympic Games,” which grossed over $130. millions worldwide.

Delon made his last major public appearance at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, when he received an honorary Palme d’Or for his contribution to cinema.

The celebration was marred by controversy as women’s rights groups urged Cannes not to continue the movement over Delon’s previous comments about slapping women, his opposition to same-sex adoption and his support for the rise of extreme rights in France, Variety reported.

At the event, Delon gave an emotional speech in which he appeared to say goodbye to cinema.

“It’s a bit of a posthumous tribute, but from my lifetime,” he said. “I’m going to leave, but I won’t leave without thanking you.” A