Jean-Paul Belmondo, magnetic star of French ‘New Wave’, dies at 88
He worked in over 80 films during a career that spanned half a century
Jean-Paul Belmondo, star of the iconic French New Wave film Breathless, whose crooked boxer’s nose and rakish grin went on to make him one of the country’s most recognisable leading men, has died at 88.
His death was confirmed yesterday by the office of his lawyer, Michel Godest. No cause of death was given.
Belmondo’s career spanned half a century. In the 1960s, he embodied a new type of male movie star, one characterised by pure virility rather than classic good looks. He went on to appear in more than 80 films and worked with a variety of major French directors, from Francois Truffaut to Claude Lelouch and Jean-Luc Godard, whose 1960 movie Breathless brought both men lasting acclaim.
Unconventional looks
His unconventional looks — flattened nose, full lips and muscular frame — allowed him to play roles from thug to police officer, thief to priest, Cyrano de Bergerac to an unshakeable secret agent. Belmondo was also a gifted athlete who often did his own stunts.