French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo (88) has died. The film and stage actor was one of the most popular actors of French cinema. Since 2001, when he suffered a stroke, he rarely appeared in front of the cameras. The French public had not yet forgotten him, BFMTV writes, because the films in which he played are still often broadcast on TV.
Belmondo was one of the most famous French movie stars in the 60s, 70s and 80s. He was best known for films in the so-called nouvelle vague style. His breakthrough came in 1960 with a starring role in À bout the souffle by Jean-Luc Godard.
In the years that followed, Belmondo was sought after by all the major French film directors. They were mostly semi-serious adventure films, in which Belmondo played the unconcerned villain. In almost all his films he did his stunt work himself.
As in ‘Le Magnifique’ a parody of James Bond films, from 1973:
His last movie Un homme et son chien he made it in 2008. He hasn’t appeared on the big screen since then, but he was still a regular guest at all major film festivals.