Emilie Dequenne

Émilie Dequenne, a Belgian actress, made an unforgettable entrance into cinema with the Dardenne brothers' film "Rosetta" (1999), a performance that earned her the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress. The film also won the Palme d'Or, marking a stellar start to her career. She was only 18 at the time, and over the next 26 years, she built a filmography spanning various genres. Her notable works include the period action horror "Brotherhood of the Wolf" (2001), the drama "The Girl on the Train" (2009), the psychological drama "Our Children" (2012), and the romantic drama "Love Affair(s)" (2020), for which she won the César Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Born in Beloeil, Wallonia, Belgium, on 29 August 1981, Dequenne grew up with a passion for acting. She stood 5'5" tall with a slim build, brown hair, and blue eyes. Her personal life included a daughter, Milla Savarese, born in 2002, from her relationship with Belgian DJ Alexandre Savarese, which lasted from 1999 to 2005. In 2008, she met actor Michel Ferracci, and they married in 2014.

Dequenne passed away on 16 March 2025 at the Gustave-Roussy Hospital in Villejuif, France, after a battle with adrenocortical carcinoma. She was 43 years old. Her legacy as a versatile actress remains, remembered for her powerful performances and her Cannes-winning debut.