French actor Jean-Louis Trintignant has sadly died at the age of 91, reports in the French media have confirmed.
He announced he was battling prostate cancer in 2018 and wouldn’t be seeking treatment for the disease.
In November last year, it was reported that the star was in declining health and gradually losing his sight.
His wife Marianne Hoepfner confirmed the news in a statement sent via his agent, which announced he died in the early hours of Friday (June 17) at home in the Gard region of southern France.
She confirmed he was “surrounded by his loved ones”.
The actor and racing driver has starred in iconic films like The Man Who Lies and The Great Silence.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
His other notable projects included The Conformist and The City of Lost Children.
Jean-Louis picked up several awards over his expansive career, including the Best Actor Award at the 1969 Cannes Film Festival for his role in Z.
He also won the Silver Bear for Best Actor gong at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1968, and the 2013 César Award for Best Actor in 2013 for his role in Amour.
Along with his acting career, Jean-Louis was a keen race-car driver, the nephew of racer Louis Trintignant, who was killed in 1933 on the Péronne track in Picardy.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
His other uncle Maurice Trintignant was known as a Formula One driver who won the Monaco Grand Prix twice, along with Le Mans.
Jean-Louis, meanwhile, competed in plenty of rally races throughout the 70s and 80s, finishing first in his class at the 1981 Monte Carlo Rally.
Jean-Louis experienced a fair amount of tragedy in his life, too, welcoming three children with his second wife Nadine Marquand – though daughter Pauline died of crib death in 1969.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
His daughter and fellow actress Marie also died before her father in 2003, being killed by her boyfriend in a Lithuanian hotel room aged just 41.
Tributes have been pouring in for the late star, with one fan tweeting: “Jean-Louis Trintignant was an all-time top five actor.
“A man who built such rich interior lives in his characters whether he was speaking a mile a minute or saying nothing at all.
“Decades of sensational work, watching him master his craft time and time again.”
Another posted: “R.I.P. Jean-Louis Trintignant. An absolute legend. Z, The Great Silence, The Conformist, Amour, My Night at Maud’s, Three Colors: Red and much much more. Few can say they were in this many truly great films and gave excellent performances in them.”
Someone else echoed: “Rest in peace Jean-Louis Trintignant, one of the greatest of French actors.”
For more of the latest showbiz news from Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
