Sophia Khatsenkova 6:02 p.m., September 06, 2021
The actor Jean-Paul Belmondo, sacred monster of French cinema, died on Monday at his home in Paris at the age of 88.
The man nicknamed "Bébel" has appeared in 80 films and leaves behind him unforgettable roles.
Invited on Europe 1 in 2016, on the occasion of the publication of his memoirs, Jean-Paul Belmondo told how he had overcome the trials of his life.
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He had interpreted a host of characters with panache during a career spanning more than fifty years.
He was the Professional, the Guignolo, Pierrot le Fou and above all the Magnificent.
Affectionately nicknamed "Bébél", Jean-Paul Belmondo embodied French cinema and was one of the most popular actors in the industry.
He died on Monday at the age of 88.
"He was very tired for some time. He died quietly," said his lawyer.
In 2016, at the age of 83 and on the occasion of the publication of his memoirs, A
Thousand Lives Are Better Than One
(published by Fayard), he confided in the microphone of Europe 1.
Complicated beginnings
To become an actor, the journey has not always been easy, especially at the beginning. While he passes the conservatory, some tell him that he is not up to the task. "With the head he has, he could never take a woman in his arms, because that would not be credible," had asserted Pierre Dux, his drama teacher. Comments that hit the actor hard as he told Europe 1, "when I was told I couldn't do it, I came home when I was 16 and cried. My daddy said to me 'but why are you crying? We have to beat them'. And I did. "
Jean-Paul Belmondo had the game in his skin, like Jean Dujardin and Albert Dupontel, whom he said he esteemed a lot.
When he was little, when he explained to his mother that he wanted to be a clown, she replied that he already was.
“She always encouraged my craft. She thought I was a clown because I was clowning all day. She loved it. She took me to the circus,” he recalled.
"I was born with morale"
Throughout his career, Bébel suffered several setbacks but never gave up.
"Any job where you are going to say no to you. You have to overcome it with this strength and this motivation," he said.
Overwhelmed by a stroke in 2001, Jean-Paul Belmondo had moved away from the world of cinema.
"It was a blow because I hardly spoke and I had in my head 'I have to speak to be able to play'. But I think I was born with the morale. My mother and father told me. always, 'if you have problems, you will conquer them', and I have always won, "he confided to Europe 1.
"I'm not afraid of the end"
A life made up of trials but also successes, with no less than 80 films on the prize list. Jean-Paul Belmondo told Europe 1 that he wanted to be remembered above all for his good humor, "I would like people to say about me that I was a good actor. That I made a lot of people laugh. . Just that would be great. " Was he afraid of the end? "No, because I have lived a very good life. A wonderful life" concludes Jean-Paul Belmondo at the microphone of Europe 1.