Alain was born on November 8, 1935, about 80 kilometers from Paris. His mother was a pharmacist, and his father later ran a cinema where she worked as a cashier. When his parents divorced at age three, both remarried, giving him half-siblings. Alain spent his childhood between two households—his mother and stepfather, who worked as a butcher, and his father’s family—often cared for by a nanny.

Though he first enjoyed the change, he later felt neglected, which showed in his schooling. Restless and unruly, he was expelled from several schools. As a teen, he tried training as a butcher, then retail, but quit. Military service gave him discipline and purpose, and afterward, he worked briefly as a waiter—before destiny shifted his path.