On September 6, 2021, at his home in Paris at the age of 88 years died Jean-Paul Belmondo - one of the most popular actors of the twentieth century and one of the symbols of French cinema. It is difficult to describe his importance and popularity because for his time he was a legend, a style guide, just like https://tonybetapp.com/ for modern online casinos and bookmaker's offices. It really is a huge loss for the whole world of cinema and culture. We decided to remember a few highlights from the life of the movie legend.
Biography of Jean-Paul Belmondo
Jean-Paul Belmondo was born in 1933 in the suburbs of Paris in an artistic family: his parents - the sculptor Paul Belmondo and the artist Sarah-Madeleine Renaud-Richard - met while studying at the world-famous Ecole des Beaux-Arts, which is opposite the Louvre.
In his youth, Jean-Paul was fond of soccer and boxing: for some time, he seriously thought about a sports career. But there was another passion in the life of this young man - the theater. That eventually determined the fate of Belmondo: graduated from the prestigious National Conservatory of Dramatic Art in the early 1950′s, Jean-Paul got into the theater company "Atelier" in Montmartre, where some years involved mainly in comedy projects.
The actor′ life changed dramatically in 1960 when screens out Jean-Luc Godard's film "Breathless". The role of a young criminal Michel Poiccard actually overnight transformed Belmondo into the symbol of the "French New Wave".
Belmondo as a Rebel
The role of the dangerous rebel in On Last Breath made Belmondo one of the most popular actors in France. And after the picture, Godard directors for several years saw its only rebel hero, capable of the most desperate acts. In the tape "A Monkey in Winter" his character dreams of becoming a bullfighter, in the movie "Magnet of Doom" he played a former boxer who decided to rob his boss - a corrupt businessman, and in the crime comedy "Pierrot le Fou" his character leaves the family and steals a car with money from the mafia.
Thanks to his, to put it mildly, irresponsible characters, Belmondo became not only one of the most popular actors in France, but also in Europe. And although his characters of this period cannot be called insanely noble, women loved their strength of character, and also their "Mediterranean charm": how they complimented the ladies, and how they held their glass!
Belmondo Is a Superman
"I always choose roles that suit my age," the actor said in an interview in 1989. That's why in the 1970′s, once the fifth decade, Belmondo switched to stories about more reliable men. In 1973, the comedy "Le Magnifique " - a parody of spy action movies, where the actor played both a loser writer Merlin and the product of his imagination - super-agent Bob St. Clair.
In the thriller "Fear Over the City", Belmondo appeared in the form of police commissioner Letelia: it disarms a maniac. In the thriller "Le Marginal" the actor played harsh Commissioner Jordaan - the fighter against the drug mafia. Finally, in one of the most famous films Belmondo, "The Professional", the idol of millions appeared in the image of Joss - "powerful guy" and agent, which suddenly betrayed the French secret service.
There is no point in explaining why millions of women all over the world went crazy over Belmondo the Superman: his chivalry, his fearlessness, but his simple-heartedness. He was the man of dreams!
Belmondo as a Comedian
Naturally, everyone loved Belmondo as a comic actor, who always had a particular enthusiasm for funny projects, because he started out in the theater as a comic actor. We love Belmondo in "The Animal", where he played a not very lucky stuntman, in "Happy Easter", where his character is a grief-stricken womanizer, who has to make up a fantastic story to avoid a family scandal. One of the most striking comedies with the Frenchman is "Le Guignolo", where his con-man character poses as an Indian prince.
Unlike some of his colleagues, who often talked about the "burden of fame, '' Belmondo was proud of the "status" of a popular favorite. In that interview of 1989, he said: "You know, it would be sad if I was an actor who only critics like. I, honestly, love my popularity: I am very happy to be recognized in the streets.
So what was the secret to his incredibly popular love? "It's very simple: it's in everyday acting work."