Paris: The face of an era, a star of French New Wave cinema, Jean-Paul Belmondo, passed away, due to prolonged illness, his family confirmed. He was 88 years old.
Belmondo, came to fame as part of the French New Wave cinema movement, after his breakthrough performance in Jean-Luc Godard’s ‘A bout de souffle’ (Breathless), released in 1959, and became more popular by acting in 80 films covering a multitude of genres, including thrillers and comedies . Belmondo was also often called “Le Magnifique” (The Magnificent), after starring in a 1970s secret agent satire movie. He was also known in France as ‘Bebel’.
Belmondo was born on April 9, 1933, in Neuilly-sur-Seinea, wealthy Paris suburb region, as the son of the renowned sculptor Paul Belmondo and painter Sarah Rainaud-Richard. Despite his cultured background, he was more interested in boxing during his early years. Entering the film field in 1950’s, Belmondo switched to mainstream films in the 1960s, and became one of France’s leading comedy and action heroes.
The death of a leading figure in French cinema was mourned across the country. President Emmanuel Macron expressed condolences through his tweet, France had lost a ‘national treasure’. ‘He will always be The Magnificent, We all recognised ourselves in him’, he added.
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