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Max Delys (July 11, 1951 – May 31, 1993) was a French actor. Born in Cannes, he was a competitive swimmer before he moved to Rome as a teenager where he began acting. Delys gained attention as a Warhol superstar and had roles in several Italian films. His popularity grew as he appeared in numerous Italian fotoromanzi.
Max Delys was born in Cannes, France on July 11, 1951.[1] His father, Gabriel Delys, was a physician and he had two sisters, Myriam and Michèle.[2]
Delys was a competitive swimmer in his youth.[3] At the age of 15, he was the runner-up in the 100-meter French National Freestyle Championship.[4]
At the age of 17, Delys moved to the Trastevere neighborhood in Rome, Italy with his girlfriend Dominique Darel in 1968.[1] His first credited role was in the film Gangster's Law (1969) directed by Siro Marcellini.[5]
Delys was approached by filmmaker Paul Morrissey who introduced him to pop artist Andy Warhol.[2] As a Warhol superstar, Delys starred in the film L'Amour (1972), which was filmed in Paris in 1970.[6][7]
In 1971, Delys appeared in the Coca-Cola "Hilltop" TV commercial. In addition to his acting career, he modeled for fashion designers Karl Lagerfeld and Pierre Cardin.[1] He also posed for photographer Jack Mitchell.[1] Delys was compared to actor Alain Delon in the January 1972 issue of Mademoiselle.[8]
Delys was fluent in French, Italian, and English. He studied at the Actors Studio in New York City before returning to Rome.[4] He played a young daredevil in several Italian genre films such as Bread and Chocolate (1974), Young, Violent, Dangerous (1976), and Return of the 38 Gang (1977).[9]
In addition to his acting career, Delys appeared in Italian fotoromanzi published by Lancio from 1973 to 1983. Fotoromanzi also referred to as photo comics or photonovels were popular magazines similar to comic books, but used photographs instead of illustrations for storytelling.[10] Due to this cultural phenomenon, Delys became famous in Italy, Portugal, and Latin America.
Delys dated Italian actress Eleonora Giorgi from 1975 to 1977.[11][12]
In 1978, Delys returned to Cannes after having financial troubles with the Italian tax authorities.[2]
Delys was reunited with original cast members from the 1971 Coca-Cola "Hilltop" commercial to participate in a remake that aired during Super Bowl XXIV in 1990.[13]
Delys died of an illness at the age of 41 on May 31, 1993.[1]
- 1969: Gangster's Law
- 1972: L'Amour
- 1974: Bread and Chocolate
- 1974: La nottata
- 1975: The Girls Who'll Do Anything
- 1975: Vieni, vieni amore mio
- 1976: Young, Violent, Dangerous
- 1977: Return of the 38 Gang
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