Alain Delonthe French star who rose to stardom during the 1960s with films such as Gattopardo (1963) and Samurai (1967), at the age of 88 in Duchy, France, with his family. Delon was said to have spent his final months at home, and his family confirmed that he died peacefully at home, Variety reported.
Born in Sceaux, France in 1935, the actor is considered one of the most influential actors of his generation. His work with directors such as Jean-Pierre Melville, Michelangelo Antonioni, Luchino Vecctoni and Jean-Luc Godard received international acclaim, and consistently placed him in the spotlight as one of the most sought-after European actors in the 1960s and 1970s. However, he was not willing to take part in every film offered to him. His career was primarily based on French cinema.
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Prior to his death, Dillon’s life was unfortunately in legal turmoil. His children filed a lawsuit in 2023 against Hiromi Rollin, Dillon’s alleged girlfriend. Anthony, one of Dillon’s sons, claimed that the woman had severely manipulated the star. Rollin responded by claiming that while she was in a relationship with Dillon, she was no longer his girlfriend. All cases were dropped before reaching trial. In January 2024, Dillon filed a lawsuit against Anthony, who noted that his father had dementia and was unable to perform basic tasks after suffering a stroke in 2019. This was also reportedly related to inheritance matters.
Dillon was diagnosed with lymphoma in his early 20s. In one of his last interviews, the actor expressed his support for euthanasia, calling it “a natural thing.” Last year, amid a legal battle, his children decided that his cancer treatment was causing him unnecessary physical distress and decided to stop it.
The legacy of Alain Delon and Le Samurai
Dillon's career was extremely wide-ranging in scope and impact. His most significant performance was undoubtedly his role as Jeff Costello in Jean-Pierre Melville's crime thriller. SamuraiThe film, which has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, tells the story of a professional assassin whose latest mission goes awry when he spots a witness who can identify him. His performance has been seen as a major influence in films such as 1989's The Last Man. killer And 2011 LeadsThe film's legacy and influence can also be seen in films such as Tank dogs, Conversation, cabbyand heat.
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But perhaps his legacy is also notable for the roles he was supposed to get and for one reason or another did not. Often considered a difficult actor to work with, Dillon was one of the choices to play Michael Corleone in The GodfatherBut he declined to participate. He also said the same thing about Steven Spielberg's movie. Close Encounters of the Third KindBut one of his most famous rejections of major Hollywood films was when he was offered the role of Sherif Ali in Lawrence of ArabiaDillon decided to turn down the offer because he had to wear contact lenses, which was not very comfortable. In theory, sand dunes The project was written by Alejandro Jodorowsky, and Dillon was set to play Duncan Idaho.
The MovieWeb team extends its deepest condolences to Dillon's family, friends and fans.
