Belgian actress Emilie Dequenne, best known for her role in Rosetta, has passed away at the age of 43.
She died on Sunday at a hospital near Paris after a long fight with adrenocortical carcinoma, a rare cancer affecting the adrenal glands.
French Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, paid tribute to Dequenne on social media, praising her remarkable performances and contribution to francophone cinema. She described the actress as “talented” and said her passing was a great loss.
“Émilie Dequenne has passed away after battling illness. Discovered in Rosetta by the Dardenne brothers, her moving performance earned her a Cannes award at just 17 years old,” Dati wrote. “Francophone cinema has lost a talented actress far too soon—one who still had so much to give.”
Dequenne rose to fame in 1999 when she won the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival for her role in Rosetta. Throughout her career, she starred in several acclaimed films, including Brotherhood of the Wolf, The Girl on the Train, Our Children, and Love Affair(s).
She received numerous awards, including a second Cannes award in 2012 for Our Children and a César Award in 2021 for The Things We Say, The Things We Do.
Dequenne is survived by her husband, Michel Ferracci, and her daughter, Milla Savarese, from a previous relationship.
