French Actor Jean-Paul Belmondo, The Face Of New Wave Cinema, Dies At 88

Belmondo, who first came to fame as part of the French New Wave cinema movement with films like Breathless by Jean-Luc Godard, went on to become a household name

Actor Jean-Paul Belmondo, one of postwar French cinema's biggest stars whose charismatic smile lit up the screen for half a century, has died aged 88 at his Paris home, his family announced Monday. Belmondo, who first came to fame as part of the French New Wave cinema movement with films like Breathless by Jean-Luc Godard, went on to become a household name, acting in 80 films covering a multitude of genres, including comedies and thrillers. "He had been very tired for some time. He died peacefully," the family said in a statement sent to AFP by Belmondo's lawyer, Michel Godest. Belmondo, who was born on April 9, 1933 in the wealthy Paris suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine, grew up in a family of artists. His father was a well-known sculptor.