Jean-Paul Belmondo

Jean-Paul Belmondo, born on 9 April 1933 in Neuilly-sur-Seine (Seine) and died on 6 September 2021 in Paris 7e, was a French actor.

He rose to prominence with the New Wave film À bout de souffle (1960), which brought him international fame. Subsequently, he confirmed his talent in other films such as La ciociara (1960), Le Doulos (1962), L'Homme de Rio (1964), which also modernised cinema. In 1971, he also became a film producer and distributor. In 1975, he shifted his acting career towards commercial cinema. He then achieved several successes in thrillers such as Peur sur la ville (1975) and comedies such as L’As des as (1982). Having also performed in theatre at the beginning of his career, he returned to the stage in Kean (1987) and achieved success. He then alternated theatre with less commercial cinema and also produced the play Le Dîner de cons (1993) before a stroke in 2001 temporarily sidelined him from his activities.

He regularly played courageous and virile heroes and anti-heroes. His acting was characterised by a natural swagger, mockery, empathy, and ardour, often performing his own stunts. Through his roles, he remains an icon of French cinema. His career was also marked by an Italian period of four films. He was nominated for a BAFTA for Léon Morin, prêtre (1961) and Pierrot le Fou (1965). He also received the Prix Brigadier for Kean and honorary awards such as the Palme d’honneur at Cannes and the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival for his career.