TRAGIC END
Gaspard Ulliel dead at 37 – Marvel’s Moon Knight and Hannibal Rising star dies in horror skiing accident
HANNIBAL Rising star Gaspard Ulliel has died after suffering a serious head injury in a horror skiing accident in the Alps.
The 37-year-old model and actor was rushed to hospital in a serious condition after the incident in the La Rosière ski resort in the Savoie region on Tuesday.
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Ulliel, known for appearing in Chanel perfume ads as well as film and television roles, suffered a serious head injury in the crash, local broadcaster France Bleu said.
The star, who shares a five-year-old son with model Gaëlle Piétri, was airlifted to a hospital in Grenoble following the horror collision.
Despite the efforts of medics, he couldn't be saved, and was pronounced dead at 4pm.
His family confirmed his death in a statement on Wednesday.
According to reports, the French actor was not wearing a helmet when he crashed into another skier at a crossing point on the slopes.
The second person involved was not seriously injured and an investigation is now under way into the tragic accident, the Savoie prosecutor's office said.
A witness to the tragedy reportedly told investigators conditions were good and "not dangerous". Other adults had chosen to ski without helmets.
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In a statement, Albertville prosecutor Anne Gaches said: "Gaspard Ulliel collided with another skier on the top of the blue run called Tetras.
"He had just branched off to the left, presumably to join his friends who were on the Gellinotte run."
Witnesses said the two skiers "both fell to the ground".
"When help arrived, Gaspard Ulliel was motionless, unconscious in the snow. The other skier was unharmed," she said.
Mountain cops have reportedly been responding to multiple accidents in the region in recent days due to hard snow and ice on the slopes.
Ulliel starred as the young Hannibal Lecter in 2007's Hannibal Rising and fashion mogul Yves Saint Laurent in the 2014 biopic Saint Laurent.
TRAGEDY ON THE SLOPES
The father-of-one was also in the upcoming Marvel series Moon Knight and he was the face of the Chanel men’s fragrance Bleu de Chanel.
The first trailer for Moon Knight was only released on Tuesday and will debut on the Disney Plus streaming service on March 30.
Ulliel won a Cesar - the French equivalent of an Oscar - for best actor in 2017 for It's Only the End of the World in which he starred alongside Marion Cotillard and Lea Seydoux.
He had already taken home a Cesar in 2004 for most promising actor after appearing in the World War One drama A Very Long Engagement alongside Audrey Tautou.
French Prime Minister Jean Castex led tributes to Ulliel following the star's death.
He said: "Gaspard Ulliel grew up with cinema and cinema grew with him. They loved each other madly.
"It is with a heavy heart that we will now see his most beautiful interpretations and meet this certain look. We are losing a French actor."
'CHARM AND ENERGY'
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said: "French cinema is losing a huge talent, full of charm and energy."
And one of Ulliel's directors described the actor as something of an enigma.
Rodolphe Marconi, who directed one of his early films, The Last Day, said: "He's a strange boy, difficult to penetrate.
"He surely has a crack, the day it opens, it will hurt."
The tragic accident conjured up memories of when Formula One great Michael Schumacher hit his head in a horrific ski accident in 2013 in the French resort of Meribel - about 30 miles from where Ulliel was skiing.
Schumacher, 53, has not been seen in public in eight years, and little has been released about his physical and mental condition.
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The German racing legend suffered serious head injuries when he fell and hit the right side of his head on a rock off the side of a slope.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Ulliel's death comes after a five-year-old girl was killed on Saturday when a skier crashed into her.
The man has been charged with manslaughter, according to the Haute-Savoie prosecutor, who said excessive speed was the likely cause of the accident.
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Gaspard Ulliel stars in Bleu de Chanel ad
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