- Belgian actress Emilie Dequenne dies at 43 after battling cancer.
- She won the Best Actress award at Cannes for Rosetta in 1999.
- Dequenne also received a César award for The Things We Say, the Things We Do.
- She starred in several acclaimed French-language films and The Missing BBC drama.
Emilie Dequenne, the award-winning Belgian actress, has passed away at 43 after battling cancer. Her family confirmed the news on March 17, 2025. She first gained fame at 18 and left a lasting mark on French-language cinema, touching audiences worldwide.
Doctors diagnosed Dequenne with adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), a rare adrenal gland cancer, in October 2023. Despite her illness, she stayed active on social media, inspiring many. On World Cancer Day in February 2025, she wrote, “What a tough fight! And we don’t choose…” Her passing has left fans and colleagues heartbroken.
A Career Defined by Excellence
Emilie Dequenne’s big break came in 1999 with Rosetta, a film that won the Palme d’Or at Cannes. Her portrayal of a struggling teenager earned her the Best Actress award. As a result, this recognition instantly pushed her into the global spotlight, marking the start of her remarkable career.
She didn’t stop there, continuing to shine in the industry. In 2012, she won another Cannes award for À Perdre la Raison (Our Children). Then, in 2021, she received a César award for Les Choses Qu’on Dit, les Choses Qu’on Fait (The Things We Say, the Things We Do). These honors solidified her place among the finest actresses of her generation.
Although she primarily worked in French films, Dequenne also explored international projects. For instance, she played Laurence Relaud, a police officer, in the BBC drama The Missing, alongside James Nesbitt. The show, which follows the disappearance of a young boy, introduced her to a much wider English-speaking audience.
Her impressive filmography includes La fille du RER (The Girl on the Train, 2009), Pas Son Genre (Not My Type, 2014), and Close (2022), which received a nomination at Cannes. With each role, she demonstrated her incredible ability to bring depth and complexity to her characters, making her performances unforgettable.
Tributes Pour in for the Late Actress
Following the announcement of her passing, tributes flooded in from fellow actors, directors, and government officials. French Minister of Culture Rachida Dati expressed her condolences, saying, “Francophone cinema has lost, too soon, a talented actress who still had so much to offer.”
Director Luc Dardenne, who co-directed Rosetta, also shared his admiration: “The first day she filmed in front of a real camera, she managed to bring the whole team together. She was magnificent, and the film owes a lot to her.”
Fans have taken to social media to celebrate her legacy, sharing scenes from her films and personal messages about how her work touched their lives.
Remembering Emilie Dequenne’s Legacy
Emilie Dequenne’s influence on cinema will continue to inspire aspiring actors and filmmakers. Her ability to bring raw emotion to the screen made her a standout performer in every project she took on. Though her career was tragically cut short, her performances will remain immortalized in film history.
Her passing is a profound loss to the entertainment industry, but her artistic contributions ensure she will never be forgotten.