No More Films for France's Alain Delon

Published December 15th, 2001 - 02:00 GMT
Al Bawaba
Al Bawaba

French actor Alain Delon said on Thursday he was not going to make any more films. 

"I don't want to do films anymore," the 66-year-old told a news conference in a swish Paris hotel. 

"I have had the chance to do everything that I wanted, when I wanted, and with whom I wanted," he said. 

Delon and his boyish good looks came to prominence in 1960 with his starring role in the Rene Clement adaptation of a Patricia Highsmith thriller, Plein Soleil. That was followed by critical acclaim the following year for his performance in Luchino Visconti's Rocco and his Brothers. 

Delon went on to further triumphs in films by such notable directors as Michelangelo Antonioni, Visconti again and Joseph Losey, but it was as a stone-faced cop, occasionally a killer, and as the real-life partner to a succession of beautiful women, that he is best known to the public.  

"Out of 85 films, I had a starring role in 82. My career started 43 years ago. I have produced 24 films, and directed two. I have never made a film under constraint or duress, nor for survival," he said. "I have had a lot of luck compared to people who have the same profession as me." 

Delon will still act on television, playing in the trilogy Fabio Montale, based on the police novels of Jean-Claude Izzo on France's private TF1 channel from January 3 -- AFP 

© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)