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01
He was awarded the César for Itinerary of a Spoiled Child 1988 but refused the trophy because César Baldaccini, the sculptor who designed the award, had once expressed bad opinions about the work of his father, fellow sculptor Paul Belmondo.
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02
He is the favorite action star of Jackie Chan and Chow Yun-Fat.
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03
Belmondo always performed his own stunts but ceased to do so after an accident during the filming of Hold-Up 1985.
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04
He was the son of Sarah Madeleine Rainaud-Richard and Paul Belmondo, a prominent sculptor. His father was born in Algiers, Algeria, to Italian parents, with roots in Piedmont and Sicily. His mother was French, from a Parisian family.
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05
Belmondo’s name was in the headlines in Hollywood in April 1996, when he lashed out at the Hollywood studios and distributors. The actor was furious that his film Desired 1995 was on only 20 screens in France while American films, such as Toy Story 1995, were on 500. He claimed that French theatre chains were on their knees before Hollywood. When I hear them talk about defending French cinema, I can only laugh.
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06
Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history, ranked #52.
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07
From 1965 to 1972, he cohabited with Ursula Andress.
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08
Has been Commander of France’s Legion of Honor since 2007.
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09
Ursula Andress calls him the love of her life.
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10
Enjoyed boxing and playing soccer in his youth; performed as goalkeeper during school years.
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11
When he finally divorced first wife Elodie after three years of separation, it was expected that Belmondo would marry longtime live-in girlfriend Ursula Andress. There was some shock when he decided not to.
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12
Several action icons in comic books such as Cobra or Blueberry are based on him.
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13
On the film Charlotte and Her Boyfriend 1958 he had to go and do military service before he could record the soundtrack, so his character’s voice is that of the director, Jean-Luc Godard.
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14
He used to be a boxer. He entered 30 professional bouts which left him with a broken nose, a scarred face, and a slope-shouldered walk.
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15
His second wife Natty Belmondo gave birth to a girl Stella on August 13, 2003.
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16
While in Corsica, Jean-Paul suffered a stroke that left the right side of his face paralyzed. He was transferred to a Paris hospital and was released from intensive care after six days.
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17
From 1972 to 1980, he cohabited with Laura Antonelli.
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18
He was considered for Steve McQueen’s role in The Thomas Crown Affair 1968.
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19
He was co-owner of Stressa, an Italian restaurant on rue Chambiges behind the Plaza Athena Hotel in Paris’ 8th arrondissement. His partners are two brothers who manage the day-to-day operations.
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20
His first wife was a former Paris opera ballet dancer.
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21
He made his stage debut in 1950.
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22
From 2008 to 2012, he cohabited with Barbara Gandolfi.
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23
He is referenced in Donovan’s song Sunny South Kensington.
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24
He founded a touring company with Annie Girardot and Guy Bedos.
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25
The promenade under the metro on Bir-Hakeim bridge was renamed by the City of Paris in his honor in March 2023. It is seen in many movies including Peur sur la ville, Last Tango in Paris, and Inception.
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26
He was a longtime business partner of French mogul René Chateau.
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27
He cohabited with Nathalie Tardivel, better known as Natty, from 1989 to 2002 before marrying on December 29, 2002.
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28
His son Paul was once engaged to Princess Stéphanie of Monaco.
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29
He supports the French soccer team Paris Saint-Germain.
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30
From 1980 to 1987, he cohabited with Maria Carlos Sotto Mayor.
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31
He has his look-alike puppet in the French show Les Guignols de l’info 1988.
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32
He was the brother of Alain Belmondo and Muriel Belmondo.
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33
He was father-in-law of Luana Belmondo.
