There’s an Italian man at work who I run into every once in a while in the breakroom. For whatever reason, we usually end up there at similar times of the day. Do you know people like that?

He’s middle-aged, hair white as snow, but he’s a very well dressed man. He enjoys his cardigans and overall seems like an interesting, chirpy guy.

I saw him the other day and said on a whim, “Do you know who Alain Delon is?” I figured a man of his age and European heritage would know.

“Yes,” he replied. “He’s a Frenchman.”

“He is,” I agreed. “He’s in some Italian movies too. I was watching one the other day and his character had the same name as you.”

“Really,” he said, interested. “How did you even come across an Italian movie?”

“I like foreign films sometimes,” I said. Old ones, I wanted to add.

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Alain Delon is a French actor who is perhaps most known in the West for his roles in the Ripley adaptation, Purple Noon, and La Piscine with Jane Birkin. The motel is an avid lover of his films, which extend far beyond what is popularized in the West.

I could always start with his looks but I have a feeling the man would want me to start first and foremost, with his acting abilities.

Acting Abilities

What makes Alain Delon most attractive is the fact that this man is not just a pretty face. His acting is superb, winning him many accolades throughout his life. Delon has truly challenged himself in his acting career, choosing unconventional roles and those with the depth and complexity that only a sensational actor could pull off.

If there is any question about Delon’s acting talent at all (which, I must say, is seldom), closely watch his eyes. Notice the careful, deliberate micro-movements he makes when conveying feeling and the character’s hidden intentions. The story Delon tells with his eyes is among one of the many reasons why I enjoy watching him. He always keeps me guessing and I never know what he’s going to do next.

French cinema is notorious for being just as mysterious as its people, with its je ne sais quoi being the fact that nothing is obvious. Though this might be frustrating sometimes to the average viewer, one can’t help but find the effect to be somewhat intriguing. As they say, we all want what we can’t have.

Charisma & Charm

I was watching an American interview with him and was surprised to hear that he spoke amazing English! Apparently he’d been required to learn English for potential roles in Hollywood when he was starting out as an actor, though he’d chosen to stay in France instead.

I was amazed at the risk Delon had taken to primarily headline his acting career in France, essentially turning down Hollywood. The decision did him better in the long run. Hollywood would’ve saturated his good looks and acting skills, landing him perhaps in lesser known roles. In France, he had more freedom to pursue the roles he wanted.

Such confidence is very much emitted in his interviews. He has a blunt sense of humor that may come off as arrogant, which might just be his French roots showing, but it is also incredibly humorous and charming. A sense of humor is one of the best ways to maintain a sense of confidence and charm, which Delon does so well by just being himself. Once the man speaks, you know he’s not like the others. You can’t help but be enamored.

Okay, but his face is still pretty

I doubt I need to say much about his looks, and Alain wouldn’t want me to anyway, but I’ll just say “eyes” and leave it at that.

Oh, and smile. Definitely the smile. And the nose.

I’ll stop now!

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Such a shame that Delon’s movies are so scarce on the internet. Interviews and content with him are just as so. In a world where content is now so oversaturated, it can be easy to take advantage how many interviews celebrities give in a single movie promotion.

Though, I must say, perhaps this is what he wanted all along: mystery, scarcity, and a little secrecy. It’s what keeps his legacy intact.

Still, it is difficult to find foreign films sometimes, especially older ones that perhaps are lesser known. With the increasing pace of streaming sites, we can hope for the better. Maybe one of these days, I’ll be able to subscribe to an entire library of Alain Delon movies and enjoy them in all its glory — with English subtitles of course.