Jean-Paul Belmondo

Jean-Paul Charles Belmondo (French: [ʒɑ̃pɔl ʃaʁl(ə) bɛlmɔ̃do]; 9 April 1933 – 6 September 2021) was a French actor, producer and distributor. Initially associated with the New Wave of the 1960s thanks to the success of the film Breathless (1960), he also acted in other films that modernized cinema such as Two Women (1960), Le Doulos (1962), That Man from Rio (1964), Greed in the Sun (1964), and Weekend at Dunkirk (1964). With the film That Man from Rio, he also became a stuntman.

In 1971, he became a film producer and distributor. He then steered his acting career towards commercial cinema starting in 1975. An undisputed box-office champion along with Louis de Funès and Alain Delon, Belmondo attracted nearly 160 million viewers over his 50-year career. He notably appeared four times in the most watched French film of the year in France: The Brain (1969), The Night Caller (1975), Animal (1977), and Ace of Aces (1982); he was only surpassed on this point by Louis de Funès. Having also acted in theatre in his early career, he returned to the scene in Kean (1987) and achieved success. In 1993, he produced his first play, which would become famous: Le Dîner de cons.

Belmondo frequently played heroic, brave, virile characters, which made him popular with a wide audience both in France and abroad. Despite being heavily courted by Hollywood, Belmondo refused to appear in English-language films. He also played more profound roles, notably in Léon Morin, Priest (1961) and Mississippi Mermaid (1969). During his career, he was called the French counterpart of actors such as James Dean, Marlon Brando and Humphrey Bogart. Described as an icon and national treasure of France, Belmondo was seen as an influential actor in French cinema and an important figure in shaping European cinema. He was nominated for two BAFTA Awards throughout his career. In 2011, Belmondo received the Honorary Palme d'Or, in 2016 the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, and in 2017 he received a tribute from the César Academy at the 42nd César Awards.