French Actor Jean-Paul Belmondo, has passed away at the age of 88.
His lawyer Michel Godest said the actor died quietly at his home in Paris on Monday.
He said “He had been very tired for some time. He died quietly.”
Belmondo is one of postwar French cinema’s biggest stars. His charismatic smile illuminated the screen for half a century.
Belmondo first came to fame as part of the French New Wave film movement with films like “Breathless” by Jean-Luc Godard.
He went on to become a household name acting in 80 films across many genres, including comedies and thrillers.
Belmondo, who was born in April 1933 in the wealthy Paris suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine, grew up in a family of artists. His father was a well-known sculptor.
He started his career in theatre, before embarking on a film career that was to span half a century, with a total of 130 million cinema tickets to his films sold.
Also, Belmondo got the nickname “Le Magnifique” (The Magnificent), after a 1970s secret agent satire in which he starred.
He recovered from a brain problem back in 2001. He is survived by three children, Florence, Paul, and Stella Eva Angelina. Another daughter, Patricia, died in 1994.
