Jean Reno plays the title hitman Léon in the 1994 film "Léon: The Professional". The character is a highly skilled assassin living quietly in New York who takes in Mathilda, a twelve-year-old girl whose family has been murdered by a corrupt DEA agent.
Written and directed by Luc Besson, the French English-language film was built around the unusual relationship between Léon and Mathilda, played by Natalie Portman in her feature-film debut. Léon is emotionally withdrawn and has limited formal education, but he is disciplined, loyal, and deeply protective. Mathilda's presence gradually draws him into a more human and self-sacrificing role.
Reno's performance is often associated with his earlier collaboration with Besson in La Femme Nikita, where he played the cleaner Victor. That connection helped inspire the idea for Léon. Gary Oldman plays the villainous Norman Stansfield, while Portman's character becomes Léon's protégé. In the United States, the film was initially released under the shorter title "The Professional."