Christian Aaron Boulogne (11 August 1962 – 20 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 Neuilly-sur-Seine (; 'Neuilly-on-Seine'), also known simply as Neuilly, is an urban Communes of France, commune in the Hauts-de-Seine Departments of France, department just west of Paris in France. Immediately adjacent to the city, north of the ...

on 11 August 1962. He was the son of German singer and actress

Nico Christa Päffgen (; 16 October 1938 – 18 July 1988), known by her stage name Nico, was a German singer, songwriter, actress, and model. Nico had roles in several films, including Federico Fellini's '' La Dolce Vita'' (1960) and Andy Warhol's ...

. His biological father has been heavily rumoured to be French actor

Alain Delon Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon (; 8 November 1935 – 18 August 2024) was a French actor, film producer, screenwriter, singer, and businessman. Acknowledged as a cultural and cinematic leading man of the 20th century, Delon emerged as one of ...

, although Delon consistently denied paternity to Boulogne and therefore this was never proved as Nico at the time was also living with Nicos Papatakis in 1962. He was initially raised by his mother before he was adopted by Delon's mother, Édith, and her second husband, Paul Boulogne, whose surname he legally took. He spent most of his childhood in

Bourg-la-Reine Bourg-la-Reine () is a Communes of France, commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the Kilometre Zero, center of Paris. History In 1792, during the French Revolution, Bourg-la-Reine (meaning "Town of the Queen") w ...

. 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, Venice Film Festival, and ...

, including the 1972

surrealist Surrealism is an art movement, art and cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists aimed to allow the unconscious mind to express itself, often resulting in the depiction of illogical or dreamlike s ...

'' The Inner Scar'', which he starred in with Nico, and the 1979 drama '' 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. 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 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 ess ...

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

Le Parisien ''Le Parisien'' (; ) is a French daily newspaper covering both international and national news, and local news of Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of ...

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

Anthony Delon Georges Alain Anthony Delon (born September 30, 1964) is an American-born French actor, and son of actors Alain Delon and Nathalie Delon. Biography Delon was born in Los Angeles but grew up in France. He is the son of actors Alain Delon and Nat ...

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

In popular culture

Boulogne was portrayed by Sandor Funtek in the 2017 biographical drama 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: '' The Inner Scar (La cicatrice intérieure)'' * 1979: '' The Secret Son (L'enfant secret)'' * 1984: '' Mixed Blood'' * 1995: ''Nico Icon'' * 2002: '' The Repentant (La repentie)'' * 2003: '' Nathalie...'' * 2004: ''Pas sages''

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Boulogne, Christian Aaron 1962 births 2023 deaths 20th-century French male actors 20th-century French male writers 20th-century French memoirists 20th-century French photographers 21st-century French male actors 21st-century French male writers 21st-century French memoirists 21st-century French photographers Artists from Neuilly-sur-Seine Deaths by heroin overdose in France Delon family Film people from Neuilly-sur-Seine Film people from Paris French adoptees French male biographers French male film actors French people of Corsican descent French people of German descent Male actors from Neuilly-sur-Seine Male actors from Paris People from Bourg-la-Reine Photographers from Paris Writers from Neuilly-sur-Seine Writers from Paris