Alain Delon, one of the great living legends of French cinema, has announced his intention to request assisted suicide. The 86-year-old actor, star of emblematic feature films such as ‘In full sun’ or ‘El gatopardo’, has asked his son Anthony to begin euthanasia procedures. This has been confirmed by his own offspring in an interview promoting his autobiography, ‘Entre chien et loup’. Shortly after, the veteran interpreter shared a statement in which he said goodbye to the public. “I want to thank everyone who has supported me throughout my career,” he wrote.
In full promotion of his book, it was in an interview for RTL -conducted on March 14- where Anthony Delon confirmed that his father asked him to start the paperwork. The protagonist of ‘Rocco and his brothers’ and ‘The silence of a man’ resides in Switzerland, where euthanasia is legal. Before confirming the news, her offspring explained how her mother, Nathalie, was about to die with assisted suicide, but that pancreatic cancer took her before her.
“She decided to die as she lived. That is, she chose euthanasia. Fortunately, we did not have to resort to this process [pues falleció antes]. I say fortunately, because everything was ready. We had the person,” she began to narrate. “It is true that it would have cost us to take her by the hand and see that she left life like that. It would not have been an easy night, but in her last hours she left in peace, we said goodbye at six in the morning and she rested forever at eleven. My father was very moved by that. But yes, it’s true, he asked me [comenzar con los trámites de la eutanasia]”, he finished declaring.
Shortly after, a statement was released, in which Delon said goodbye to the public. “I want to thank all those who have accompanied me over the years and have given me great support. I hope that the actors of the next generations can find in me an example not only in the workplace, but in the daily life of days, between victories and defeats. Thank you”, could be seen on the actor’s Instagram account, which has been closed.
One of the cinema icons who worked with Visconti, Godard and Antonioni
The truth is that recent years have been fateful for the French star. After receiving the honorary Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019, an award surrounded by controversy, as part of the public did not forget his sexist statements (he confessed to having slapped women, although he later qualified these confirmations), homophobes and his friendship with the politician far-right Jean-Marie Le Pen. However, shortly after winning the lifetime achievement award for him, Delon suffered a severe stroke and suffered another stroke later that year. Coupled with the cancer suffered by his wife, Nathalie, who died in January 2021, the actor would have said enough.
Delon is one of the great icons not only of French and European cinema, but worldwide. He began his career in 1957 and has worked with the likes of filmmakers Luchino Visconti, Jean-Luc Godard, Jean-Pierre Melville, Michelangelo Antonioni and Louis Malle. Among his other most recognized works are ‘The Fox’, ‘The Eclipse’, ‘The Pool’, ‘Red Circle’ or ‘The Other Mr. Klein’. His last film role was that of Julius Caesar in ‘Asterix at the Olympic Games’, although his last job in front of the cameras was a cameo in the comedy ‘Toute ressemblance’, in which he played itself.
