A sex symbol and a standard of male beauty. 10 photos of Alain Delon, who broke the hearts of many women

The French actor Alain Delon, whose heart stopped on August 18, is considered a sex symbol of the 60s. The outstanding heartthrob began to attract the attention of filmmakers in the 50s and, mostly because of his appearance, began his acting career.

Before that, Delon worked as a loader in the port of Le Gallé. Then actor Jean-Claude Brialy noticed the young man's appearance and invited him to the Cannes Film Festival. It was there that he received his first film projects. In 1957, the actor played his first role in the film Quand la femme s'en mêle (literally translated as When a Woman Intervenes). NPR has collected several outstanding quotes that best describe the character of the young Alain Delon.

"This young man, whom some brilliant press agent has helpfully dubbed 'the French James Dean,' has long silky hair, high cheekbones, and a relaxed posture. He smiles and generally condescends to girls who lend him a shoulder. He rides a motorcycle and has a 'cat-like' personality," wrote critic Bosley Crowther Jr. in a dismissive review of When a Woman Interferes in 1959.

Alain Delon received the title of sex symbol almost immediately after starting his acting career. The critic Anthony Lane wrote in The New Yorker that Delon charms everyone.

"Obviously, there is someone we should stay away from, but we can't run away from them. We can't even look away. Not only that, but Delon is very unusual among people of the divine plan, as he is said to have developed ties to the real underworld," the journalist writes.

Delon never managed to become a real Hollywood star. He tried to build his career by starring in the same films as Jane Fonda, Burt Lancaster, Charles Bronson, Brigitte Bardot, etc. but failed. The actor even had a romantic relationship with the German star and his colleague Romy Schneider. Their breakup, which was widely discussed in 1964, became one of the many scandals that marked his off-screen life.

For several years, Alain Delon was awarded the Palme d'Or and the César Award. He was best known for playing outwardly attractive and immoral criminals.

Earlier, OBOZ.UA wrote how Alain Delon supported Ukraine: he talked to Volodymyr Zelensky, recited Ukrainian poems, and admired our people and military.

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