{{Short description|French actor (1951–1993)}} '''Max Delys''' (July 11, 1951 – May 31, 1993) was a French actor and model. 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.

== Biography == Max Delys was born in Cannes, France on July 11, 1951.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Boero |first=Beatrice |date=2021-01-13 |title=Roma vintage, i favolosi anni '70 e i miti di quel tempo |url=https://www.italiachiamaitalia.it/roma-vintage-i-favolosi-anni-70-e-i-miti-di-quel-tempo/ |access-date=2024-06-18 |website=Italia chiama Italia |language=it-IT}}</ref> His father, Gabriel Delys, was a physician and he had two sisters, Myriam and Michèle.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Max Delys, acteur italien, né à Cannes |url=https://pariscotedazur.fr/archives/2006/7/8/max_delys-acteur_italien-n%C3%A9_%C3%A0_cannes |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=Paris Côte d'Azur |language=French}}</ref>

Delys was a competitive swimmer in his youth.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cannes. Petite histoire illustrée des piscines ouvertes au public: "Le Gallia Tennis Club"… |url=https://pariscotedazur.fr/archives/2018/5/13/cannes-petite_histoire_illustr%C3%A9e_des_piscines_ouvertes_au_public-le_gallia_tennis_club |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=Paris Côte d'Azur |language=French}}</ref> At the age of 15, he was the runner-up in the 100-meter French National Freestyle Championship.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=MAX DELYS, UM DOS MEUS PREFERIDOS ATORES DE FOTONOVELA |url=http://carminhapaukoski.blogspot.com/2010/12/max-delys-um-dos-meus-preferidos-atores.html |access-date=2024-06-19 |language=pt-BR}}</ref>

At the age of 17, Delys moved to the Trastevere neighborhood in Rome, Italy with his girlfriend Dominique Darel in 1968.<ref name=":1" /> His first credited role was in the film ''Gangster's Law'' (1969) directed by Siro Marcellini.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book |last=Curti |first=Roberto |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6f8CAQAAQBAJ&dq=Gangster's+Law+max+delys&pg=PA28 |title=Italian Crime Filmography, 1968-1980 |date=2013-11-05 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-6976-5 |pages=28 |language=en}}</ref>

Delys was approached by filmmaker Paul Morrissey who introduced him to pop artist Andy Warhol.<ref name=":3" /> As a Warhol superstar, Delys starred in the film ''L'Amour'' (1972), which was filmed in Paris in 1970.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Leogrande |first=Ernest |date=1973-05-11 |title=Not Enough Good Moments In 'L'Amour' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-andy-warhols-lamour-film-re/145189224/ |access-date=2024-04-12 |work=Daily News |pages=78}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Gopnik |first=Blake |url=http://archive.org/details/warhol0000gopn |title=Warhol |date=2020 |publisher=Ecco |isbn=978-0-06-229839-3 |location=New York, NY |pages=721–722}}</ref>

In 1971, Delys appeared in the Coca-Cola "Hilltop" TV commercial. In addition to his acting career, he modeled for fashion designers Karl Lagerfeld, Pierre Cardin, Carlo Palazzi.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=March 1971 |title=Italy: Ideas In Action |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_harpers-bazaar_1971-03_3112/page/92/mode/2up |magazine=Harper's Bazaar |pages=93}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> He also posed for photographer Jack Mitchell.<ref name=":1" /> Delys was compared to actor Alain Delon in the January 1972 issue of ''Mademoiselle''.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Lerman |first=Leo |date=January 1972 |title=Scene / Seen |journal=Mademoiselle |pages=105}}</ref>

In 1973, Warhol took nude Polaroid photos of Delys and Darel for a pictorial that was published in the August 1974 issue of ''Playboy'' magazine.<ref name=":5" />

Delys was fluent in French, Italian, and English. He studied at the Actors Studio in New York City before returning to Rome.<ref name=":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).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ginibre |first=Jean-Louis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7hgQRVaWL-gC&dq=Bread+and+Chocolate+max+delys&pg=PA174 |title=Ladies Or Gentlemen: A Pictorial History of Male Cross-dressing in the Movies |date=2005 |publisher=Filipacchi Publishing |isbn=978-1-933231-04-4 |pages=174 |language=en}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Eskelin |first=Stacey |date=2021-11-08 |title=The Most Italian Thing You've Never Heard Of: Fotoromanzi |url=https://cappuccino.substack.com/p/the-most-italian-thing-youve-never |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=Cappuccino}}</ref> Due to this cultural phenomenon, Delys became famous in Italy, Portugal, and Latin America.

Delys dated Italian actress Eleonora Giorgi from 1975 to 1977.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Giorgi |first=Eleonora |title=Nei panni di un'altra |date=2016 |publisher=Mondadori Electa |isbn=9788851052188 |language=Italian}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Search Results for 'DELYS' |url=https://www.umbertopizziphoto.com/search?I_DSC=DELYS&_ACT=search&I_DSC_AND=t |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=Umberto Pizzi Photographer}}</ref>

In 1978, Delys returned to Cannes after having financial troubles with the Italian tax authorities.<ref name=":3" />

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.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Letofsky |first=Irv |date=1990-01-30 |title=A Super Bowlful of Hype Over the Cola Confrontation |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-coca-colas-1971/149620671/ |access-date=2024-06-19 |work=The Los Angeles Times |pages=F14}}</ref>

Delys died of an illness at the age of 41 on May 31, 1993.<ref name=":1" />

== Filmography ==

* 1969: <bdi>''Gangster's Law''</bdi> * 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'' == References ==

Category:1951 births Category:1993 deaths Category:People from Cannes Category:People associated with The Factory Category:Male actors from Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Category:20th-century French male actors Category:Male actors from Rome <references />

== External links ==

* [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0218014/?ref_=nmbio_ov Max Delys] at IMDb

Category:French male models Category:Models from Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Category:French male freestyle swimmers