What was Alain Delon's Net Worth?
Alain Delon was a French actor, filmmaker, and businessman who had a net worth of $200 million. One of the most prominent European actors and sex symbols from the 1960s to the 1980s, Alain Delon starred in such classic films as "Purple Noon," "Rocco and His Brothers," "The Leopard," "Le Samouraï," and "Monsieur Klein." Delon was known for his frequent collaborations with Jean-Pierre Melville, Michelangelo Antonioni, Luchino Visconti, and Jacques Deray, among other directors. Alain Delon died on August 18, 2024, at the age of 88.
Early Life and Education
Alain Delon was born on November 8, 1935 in the wealthy Paris suburb of Sceaux, France. When he was four, his parents Édith and Fabien divorced; from their remarriages, he gained a half-sister and two half-brothers. Delon attended a Catholic boarding school as a youth, but was expelled for his insolent behavior. After several further expulsions, he left school at the age of 14 and worked briefly in his stepfather's butcher shop. When he was 17, Delon joined the French Navy.
Start of Film Career
Following his naval service, Delon returned to France and befriended actress Brigitte Auber. He ended up joining Auber on a trip to the Cannes Film Festival, where he was spotted by a talent scout for American film producer David O. Selznick. Delon subsequently did a screen test for Selznick, and was offered a contract. However, after meeting French director Yves Allégret, Delon canceled his contract and made his feature film debut in Allégret's 1957 crime film "Send a Woman When the Devil Fails." He went on to appear in "Be Beautiful But Shut Up," directed by Yves Allégret's brother Marc and released in 1958. The same year, Delon had his first lead role, starring opposite Romy Schneider in "Christine."
International Stardom in the 1960s and 70s
After starring in the 1959 comedy "Women Are Weak," which was a major hit in France, Delon had his international breakthrough in 1960 with two major films: René Clément's "Purple Noon" and Luchino Visconti's "Rocco and His Brothers." His performances in both earned him high acclaim. Delon went on to make his stage debut in John Ford's play "'Tis Pity She's a Whore," costarring Romy Schneider and directed by Visconti. He subsequently reunited with Clément for the 1961 comedy "The Joy of Living." Also that year, Delon appeared in the anthology film "Famous Love Affairs." He next starred opposite Monica Vitti in Michelangelo Antonioni's 1962 film "L'Eclisse." The following year, Delon was in the anthology film "The Devil and the Ten Commandments," the crime drama "Any Number Can Win," and Visconti's epic historical drama "The Leopard." He starred in three more films in 1964: "The Black Tulip," "Joy House," and "The Unvanquished." In 1965, Delon appeared briefly in MGM's anthology film "The Yellow Rolls-Royce," and had his first lead role in English in the crime film "Once a Thief." He went on to star in "Lost Command" for Columbia, "Texas Across the River" for Universal, and the epic all-star war film "Is Paris Burning?" for Paramount.
Having done six films in Hollywood, Delon returned to France to star in "The Last Adventure," which was released in 1967. That same year, he starred in Jean-Pierre Melville's crime thriller "Le Samouraï," which would go on to become a classic. Delon followed that with roles in "Diabolically Yours," "Spirits of the Dead," "The Girl on a Motorcycle," and "Adieu l'ami," all in 1968. The year after that, he starred opposite Romy Schneider in the psychological thriller "La Piscine," which generated substantial controversy when Delon's friend and bodyguard Stevan Marković was found murdered during filming, and Delon was implicated but not charged. He went on to star in a number of gangster films, including "Jeff," "The Sicilian Clan," "Borsalino," and Melville's "Le Cercle Rouge." For a change of pace, Delon then starred in the romantic drama "The Love Mates" and the comedy "Easy, Down There!," both in 1971. He was subsequently in "The Assassination of Trotsky"; "Red Sun"; "The Widow Couderc"; "Un Flic"; "Indian Summer"; "Tony Arzenta"; "Scorpio"; "The Burned Barns"; "Two Men in Town"; "Icy Breasts"; "Zorro"; and "The Gypsy," among other titles. In 1976, Delon starred in Joseph Losey's "Monsieur Klein," earning him a César Award nomination. His credits in the years after that included "Man in a Hurry," "Le Gang," "The Concorde… Airport '79," and "The Medic."
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Later Acting Career
Delon began the 1980s with roles in "Three Men to Kill," "Teheran 43," and "For a Cop's Hide." Among his subsequent films were "Le Choc" and "Le Battant." In 1984, Delon won the César Award for Best Actor for his performance in Bertrand Blier's "Our Story." The same year, he starred in "Swann in Love." Returning to the thriller genre in the latter half of the decade, Delon starred in "Parole de Flic," "The Passage," and "Let Sleeping Cops Lie." Kicking off the 1990s, he starred in "Dancing Machine" and Jean-Luc Godard's "Nouvelle Vague." Delon was subsequently in "The Return of Casanova," "A Crime," "The Teddy Bear," "One Hundred and One Nights," and "Day and Night." His last major film role was in the 1998 film "Une chance sur deux." Since then, Delon has starred in some television series, such as "Fabio Montale" and "Frank Riva," as well as in some television films. He also directed the 2008 television film "Love Letters," based on the A.R. Gurney play.
Business Career
In the 1970s, Delon expanded his business interests by purchasing harness racing trotters, promoting boxing matches, and building furniture. Additionally, he helped develop and promote wristwatches, eyewear, fragrances, clothing, and stationery, among other products sold under his name.
Controversies
Delon has been the subject of various controversies over the years, most notably in relation to the Marković affair in 1968, when he was implicated in the murder of his friend and former bodyguard Stevan Marković. The year after that, he was convicted in absentia and sentenced to four months in jail for assaulting an Italian photographer in Italy. Later in his life, Delon earned controversy for supporting the French far-right political party the National Front.
Personal Life
In 1959, Delon got engaged to actress Romy Schneider, whom he had first met on the set of the film "Christine" the prior year. The couple had a highly publicized relationship, compounded by Delon's affair with German actress, singer-songwriter, and model Nico. In 1962, Nico gave birth to a son named Ari, whom Delon refused to recognize as his. The year after that, Delon and Schneider broke up. Delon went on to date model Nathalie Barthélémy; they married in 1964 and had a son named Anthony Delon. The pair divorced in early 1969, by which time Delon had started dating actress Mireille Darc. They had a relationship that lasted until 1982. Later, Delon dated such women as Anne Parillaud, Lana Wood, Catherine Bleynie, and Rosalie van Breemen. With van Breemen, he has two children named Anouchka and Alain-Fabien.
Death
Alain Delon died on August 18, 2024, at the age of 88.
