The Passing of Émilie Dequenne: A Star of Cinema Dies at 43

Belgian actress Émilie Dequenne passed away on Sunday, March 16, at the Gustave-Roussy Hospital in Villejuif at the age of 43, after a battle with a rare cancer. Discovered in 1999 through Rosetta by the Dardenne brothers, a role that earned her the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival, she had become one of the leading figures of Francophone cinema.

A Career Marked by Powerful Roles

With nearly fifty films to her name, Émilie Dequenne skillfully balanced between auteur cinema and mainstream productions. She worked with renowned directors such as André Téchiné (La fille du RER), Claude Berri, Albert Dupontel (Au revoir là-haut), and Lucas Belvaux (Pas son genre). In 2021, she won the César for Best Supporting Actress for Les choses qu’on dit, les choses qu’on fait.

Over the years, her talent was repeatedly praised, particularly at Cannes where she received an acting award in 2012 for À perdre la raison.

A Brave Battle Against Illness

In October 2023, Émilie Dequenne revealed that she had been diagnosed with a rare cancer of the adrenal glands, called corticosurrenaloma, two months earlier. She had been away from the film sets since then, bravely fighting her illness. After a first remission in April 2024, she unfortunately relapsed in December.

“Such a fierce battle! And one that we don’t choose…” she wrote on Instagram last February, on World Cancer Day.

A Wave of Tributes

Since the news of her passing, many figures from the cinema and cultural world have paid tribute to her. Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, praised her on X for being “a talented actress who still had so much to offer Francophone cinema.” Gilles Jacob, former president of the Cannes Film Festival, described her as “a fighter, with the fearless gentleness of those who know their days are numbered.”

On Instagram, Alex Lutz highlighted “her talent and kindness,” while Leïla Bekhti called her “a great lady, great soul, great actress, a queen.”

A Premonitory Last Film

Despite her illness, Émilie Dequenne continued her projects. She had recently presented Survivre, her last film, which was shot before her diagnosis. “It’s very strange to promote a film called Survivre, in which I fight crabs,” she humorously shared on France Inter.

Taken too soon, Émilie Dequenne leaves behind a rich filmography and memorable roles that will continue to inspire future generations.