French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo died September 6, 2021 in Paris, France at the age of 88. An offical cause of death was not released.
A longtime actor, Belmondo is best known for his role in “Breathless”. In a career spanning over 50 years, he has appeared in nearly 100 productions where he was sometimes known for performing his own stunts. Over the course of that career, Belmondo has worked with numerous directors including Francois Truffaut, Claude Lelouch, and Jean-Luc Godard.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqOJaGM-wQg
Belmonde made his screen debut in 1956 with the short “Moliere”. He went on to appear in 90 more productions including “The Three Musketeers” as D’Artagnan, “Breathless”, “Seven Day…Seven Nights”, “That Man from Rio”, “Weekend at Dunkirk”, “Casino Royale”, “Le guignolo”, the title role in “Cyrano de Bergerac”, “Les Miserables”, and his final role in 2008 in “A Man and His Dog”.
French President Emmanuel Macron spoke on Belmondo calling him “a national treasure”; adding that he was a “sublime hero” and a “familiar figure”.
He was born on April 9, 1933 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, the son of a sculpture and a painter. Before turning to acting, Belmondo played football and was a boxer. He left school at 16 and began studying at the Conservatoire National Superieur d’Art Dramatique where one of his professors told him that he would never make it as an actor due to his looks.
Prior to making his screen debut in 1960, he performed on the stage.
Predeceased by his daughter Patricia, Belmondo is survived by his children Florence, Paul, and Stella; and grandchildren.
feature photo credit: Jean-Paul Belmondo Cannes 2011.jpg, [[File:Jean-Paul Belmondo Cannes 2011.jpg|Jean-Paul_Belmondo_Cannes_2011]]