Actress Émilie Dequenne Dies at 43 from Rare Cancer

Émilie Dequenne, the Belgian actress who won the Silver Palm at Cannes in 1999 for her role in the film 'Rosetta', passed away on Sunday night at the age of 43 from a rare form of cancer. Dequenne revealed in October 2023 that she was suffering from adrenocortical carcinoma, a cancer affecting the endocrine system, which forced her to step away from public life and filming.

The actress, who died at the Villejuif hospital in Paris where she was receiving palliative care, had courageously spoken about her illness in interviews and on social media. In April 2024, she announced that her cancer had completely gone into remission, although she was required to undergo regular check-ups due to the risk of recurrence, which eventually occurred last December. She then affirmed her determination to continue fighting.

Dequenne was eighteen when she took on her first role in 'Rosetta', directed by the Dardenne brothers. Her debut earned her the Best Actress award at Cannes, while the film itself won the Palme d'Or in 1999.

Dequenne subsequently established herself in French cinema, working with some of France's leading directors in around 60 film and television productions, alongside actors such as Robert De Niro, Gabriel Byrne, Vincent Cassel, Jane Birkin, and Kathy Bates.

Her notable films include 'Brotherhood of the Wolf' by Christophe Gans and 'A Housekeeper' by Claude Berri. One of her most recent performances was in 'The Things We Say, the Things We Do', for which she won the César Award for Best Supporting Actress, having previously been nominated four times for these prestigious French cinema awards.

She also starred in 'Our Children', winning Best Actress in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes, as well as in 'See You Up There', 'Not My Type', 'The Bridge of San Luis Rey', and 'The Stranger'. Her last film released in Spain was 'The English Butler', alongside John Malkovich and Fanny Ardant.

Dequenne returned to the Cannes Film Festival in 2024 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of her breakthrough with the Dardenne brothers and to promote 'Survive', an English-language film released at that time.

"Émilie was the embodiment of joy and enthusiasm," remembered Jean-Pierre Dardenne in his tribute. "We have all been deeply moved by her powerful and touching performances. French cinema has lost a talented actress far too soon, who still had so much to offer," French Minister of Culture Rachida Dati expressed on social media.