Christian Aaron Boulogne (11 August 1962 – May 2023) also known as Ari Boulogne and Ari Päffgen was a French photographer, actor and writer.

Early life

Boulogne was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine on 11 August 1962. He was the son of German singer and actress

Nico Naftiran Intertrade Company Société à responsabilité limitée#In Switzerland, limited (NICO) is a Switzerland, Swiss-based subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC). NICO is a general contractor for the oil and gas industry. NIOC bu ...

. His biological father was French actor

Alain Delon Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon (; born 8 November 1935) is a French actor and filmmaker. He was one of Europe's most prominent actors and screen sex symbols in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. In 1985, he won the César Award for Best Actor for h ...

although Delon has consistently denied paternity to Boulogne. His paternal grandfather was François Fabien Delon who was director of the cinema ''Le Régina'' in

Bourg-la-Reine Bourg-la-Reine () is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. History In 1792, during the French Revolution, Bourg-la-Reine (meaning "Town of the Queen") was renamed Bourg-l'Égalité (meani ...

while his paternal grandmother Édith Arnold, who was employed in a

pharmacy Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it links heal ...

and later became a butcher with her second husband. His maternal grandfather was Wilhelm Päffgen who was from the wealthy Päffgen Kölsch master brewer family dynasty in Cologne while his maternal grandmother was Margarete "Grete" Päffgen. Boulogne has two half brothers

Anthony Delon Anthony Delon (born September 30, 1964) is a French-American actor, and son of actors Alain Delon and Nathalie Delon. Biography Delon is the former boyfriend of Princess Stéphanie of Monaco. He married Sophie Clerico on June 27, 2006; they separa ...

and Alain-Fabien Delon and a half sister

Anouchka Delon Anouchka Delon (born 25 November 1990) is a French-Dutch actress. Early life Delon is the daughter of Alain Delon and Rosalie van Breemen. She has a younger brother, Alain-Fabien Delon, and two older half-brothers, Christian Aaron "Ari" Bo ...

. Boulogne was initially raised by his mother before he was adopted by Delon's mother and her second husband Paul Boulogne whose surname he legally took. He spent most of his childhood in

. In 2001 and 2019, Boulogne attempted to sue Delon for legal recognition of paternity but without success.

Career

Boulogne reunited with his mother as a teenager and began his career as an actor. He made appearances in films directed by

Philippe Garrel Philippe Garrel (; born 6 April 1948) is a French director, cinematographer, screenwriter, film editor, and producer, associated with the French New Wave movement. His films have won him awards at Cannes Film Festival and Venice Film Festival. ...

including ''

The Inner Scar ''The Inner Scar'' (french: La cicatrice intérieure) is a 1972 French film directed by Philippe Garrel, who co-stars with Nico, her son Christian (Ari) and Pierre Clémenti. It was filmed in Egypt, the United States and Iceland. The film features ...

'' which he starred in with Nico and '' The Secret Son'' in which he was credited as Ari Päffgen. After acting, Boulogne took on a career as a photographer.

Personal life and death

Boulogne had two children, a son Charles (born 1999), and a daughter Blanche (born 2006). In 2001, he published a memoir ''Love Never Forgets'' in which he elaborates on his relationship with his mother. Boulogne was found dead in his Paris apartment on 20 May 2023, following a heroin overdose a month before. A woman, supposedly his partner, was taken into custody for failure of duty to rescue. He was 60, and was in an advanced stage of

decomposition Decomposition or rot is the process by which dead organic substances are broken down into simpler organic or inorganic matter such as carbon dioxide, water, simple sugars and mineral salts. The process is a part of the nutrient cycle and is e ...

when discovered.Caroline Piquet,
Ari Boulogne, le fils illégitime d’Alain Delon, retrouvé mort à Paris»
», ''

Le Parisien ''Le Parisien'' (; French for "The Parisian") is a French daily newspaper covering both international and national news, and local news of Paris and its suburbs. It is owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, better known as LVMH. Histor ...

'', 20 May 2023. Shortly after his death was announced, his half-brother

paid tribute to him on Instagram, expressing his "great sadness".

In popular culture

Boulogne was portrayed by

Sandor Funtek Sandor Funtek () is a French actor. His father, an artist, originated from Hungary, while his mother, also an artist, was from a French-speaking background. His first lead role is in ' (originally ''L'enkas'' or ''The Truk'') (2019). Roles Film ...

in the 2017 film ''

Nico, 1988 ''Nico, 1988'' is a 2017 biographical drama film written and directed by Susanna Nicchiarelli. A co-production between Italy and Belgium, the film chronicles the last year of the life of German singer and model Nico. It had its world premiere at ...

''.

Selected filmography

* 1972: ''

'' * 1979: '' The Secret Son'' * 1984: ''

Mixed Blood The term mixed-blood in the United States and Canada has historically been described as people of multiracial backgrounds, in particular mixed European and Native American ancestry. Today, the term is often seen as pejorative. Northern Woodl ...

'' * 1995: ''

Nico Icon Naftiran Intertrade Company limited (NICO) is a Swiss-based subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC). NICO is a general contractor for the oil and gas industry. NIOC buys the vast majority of Iran's gasoline imports. NICO is a key pl ...

'' * 2002: ''

The Repentant ''The Repentant'' ( ar, El Taaib) is a 2012 Algerian drama film directed by Merzak Allouache. It was screened in the Directors' Fortnight section at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. The film won the FIPRESCI Award for Best Asian Film at the 17t ...

'' * 2003: '' Nathalie...'' * 2004: '' Pas sages''

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Boulogne, Christian Aaron 1962 births 2023 deaths French people of German descent French people of Corsican descent French male actors French photographers French male writers People from Paris French actors Delon family Deaths by heroin overdose in France