Depardieu’s son dies of pneumonia

Guillaume Depardieu, 37, was filming in Romania when he contracted the illness.

The son of French film star Gerard Depardieu died Monday in a Paris area hospital from acute pneumonia, his agent said.

Actor Guillaume Depardieu, 37, was known for a lifestyle of drink and drugs.

Earlier this year he was imprisoned for drink driving.

He is currently appearing in cinemas in the film Versailles.

The actor opted to have his right leg amputated in 2003 to put an end to a series of infections developed during operations to recover from a motorbike accident in 1995.

Although that year he announced the creation of the Fondation Guillaume Depardieu to help victims of hospital infections, the assocation was never established.

His solicitor Jean-Yves Liénard said: “He was ready to add his name to this cause on behalf of those who could not make themselves heard.”

The son of Gerard and Elisabeth Depardieu, Guillaume starred alongside his father for the first time in director Alain Corneau's Tous les Matins du Monde (All the World's Mornings) in 1991.

Despite a tense relationship father and son appeared together in two television movies.

Guillaume accused his megastar father of taking little interest in him while he was growing up.

It was only in 2002 with the film Aime ton Père (Love your father) that the relationship showed signs of improving.

Photo:Afp/John MacDougall