PARIS, August 18. /TASS/. French actor Alain Delon has died at the age of 88, the AFP news agency reported citing a joint statement by his three children.

The legendary actor passed away overnight into Sunday in his estate in Douchy in France's Val de Loire region surrounded by his children and the family, according to the statement.

Since the 1990s, his film appearances had been rare, while in 2017 he announced the end of cinema career.

Delon spent his last years in Douchy after suffering a stroke in 2019. He was also diagnosed with lymphoma.

In total, the French film icon starred in more than 90 films. He shot to fame in two films by Italian director Luchino Visconti, "Rocco and His Brothers" (1960) and "The Leopard" (1963). He also starred in "Purple Noon" (1960), "The Swimming Pool" (1969), as well as the Soviet-French political thriller film "Teheran 43" (1980). In May 2019, Delon was awarded an honorary Palme d'or at the Cannes film festival.