Alain Delon recovers in Switzerland after stroke

On May 19, Alain Delon received an honorary Palme D'Or award for his career at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival. Keystone / Guillaume Horcajuelo

Legendary French actor Alain Delon is recovering in a Swiss clinic after suffering a stroke and a small brain haemorrhage several weeks ago, his eldest son Anthony Delon said on Thursday.

Anthony Delon told the AFP news agency that doctors had informed him that his father’s vital functions were “perfect” and his condition had stabilized.

“He underwent surgery at the Pitié-Salpêtrière [Parisian hospital], where he spent three weeks in intensive care. The whole family took turns at his bedside, my brother, my sister and my mother Nathalie,” he said.

“His vital functions being perfect and his condition stabilized, according to doctors, he has gone back to Switzerland and is resting quietly in a clinic. My sister, who now resides in Switzerland is closely following his recovery and keeping us informed of his daily progress.”

In mid-June, Alain Delon’s entourage said the actor had been admitted to the American Hospital in Neuilly “for dizziness and minor headaches”.

On May 19, the 83-year-old film star received an honorary Palme d’Or d’honneur from his daughter Anouchka at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival.

The veteran French actor is an icon of the European film industry, after starring in over 80 films. He has worked with filmmakers such as Michelangelo Antonioni, Luchino Visconti, Jean-Pierre Melville and Jean-Luc Godard.