France's Alain Delon, set on Sunday to receive an honorary prize at Cannes that has sparked scrutiny of his views on women and same-sex couples, said in a newspaper interview that as an actor at least, he was beyond reproach.
"People can say what they want, I'm used to it. But there's nothing to be said about my career. It's irreproachable," Delon, 83, was quoted as saying in the Journal Du Dimanche (JDD).
One of Europe's most acclaimed actors for more than five decades and particularly admired in his native France, Delon has starred in films including Luchino Visconti's "The Leopard," which won the top prize at Cannes' cinema showcase in 1963.