Helmut Berger, one of the great figures for filmmaker Luchino Visconti, has died “peacefully, but surprisingly”, per his agent.
The actor was about to turn 79 years old and says goodbye leaving a great legacy behind him, with films like ‘The Godfather III’ or ‘The Portrait of Dorian Grey’ and being a reference in the 60s and 70s.
Thus, the world of cinema loses one of the greatest European legends, whose personality and controversies were as important as his legacy.
From his sex life to accumulating several successes
During his early years, Helmut Berger spent time in several countries, such as France, England and Italy, where he learned his languages and met Luchino Visconti, who made him one of the most important actors of the time.
Thanks to their relationship, the interpreter got several roles in productions and, little by little, they became close friends until they became a couple.
The turning point came when Berger openly declared his bisexuality.
From then on, he and Luchino Visconti became lovers and became inseparable since the 60’s. However, after the filmmaker’s death in 1976, the actor changed completely and turned to a life of excess, in which there was no lack of drugs and alcohol and he even attempted suicide on one occasion.
Despite everything, he left behind a legacy full of great successes.
In addition to ‘The Godfather III’ or ‘The Portrait of Dorian Grey’, he worked in films like ‘Ludwig’ and ‘Ash Wednesday’, in which he coincided on the big screen with established Hollywood actresses like Elizabeth Taylor and Henry Fonda.
Since the 1990s, when he published his autobiography and admitted to having slept with dozens of celebrities, he went through a 15-year marriage and even retired from the movies to take care of his mother.
After her death, he returned to his career, although in 2019 he announced his definitive retirement after going through several pneumonias and since then, he rested and lived in peace in Salzburg.
