Émilie Dequenne is a Belgian actress. She initially received acclaim for her performance in the Dardenne brothers’ film Rosetta (1999), which awarded her the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress. The film also secured the Palme d’Or at the festival.
Early Life & Education
Émilie Dequenne was born in Belœil, a town located in the Hainaut province of Belgium. From an early age, she showed a strong interest in the performing arts, enrolling in children’s theater classes when she was eight years old.
She continued to develop her skills by becoming a member of the amateur theater group “La Relève” in Ladeuze. In terms of her education, Émilie finished her secondary schooling in 1998, showcasing her ability to balance her artistic ambitions with her academic duties.
Émilie Dequenne’s Career
At the age of 17, Émilie Dequenne made an impressive entrance into the film industry with the Dardenne brothers’ film “Rosetta” (1999).
Her performance as the lead character garnered her the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival, which made her the youngest individual to receive this accolade at that time.
Following this promising beginning, Émilie broadened her range by accepting various roles in different genres. In the film “Brotherhood of the Wolf” (2001), a historical thriller directed by Christophe Gans, she portrayed Marianne de Morangias. The movie received both critical praise and commercial success, earning over $70 million globally.
Her partnership with the renowned director André Téchiné in “The Girl on the Train” (2009), where she performed alongside Catherine Deneuve, further reinforced her reputation in European cinema.
She persisted in portraying intricate characters, particularly in “Our Children” (2012), a psychological drama that garnered her the Un Certain Regard Award for Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival.
Other remarkable films throughout her career include The Light (2004), the horror feature The Pack (2010), the romantic comedy Not My Type (2014), and the drama This Is Our Land (2017).
Personal Life
Emilie Dequenne is the mother of a daughter named Milla Savarese, born in 2002, with Belgian DJ Alexandre Savarese. Their relationship lasted from 1999 until 2005. In 2008, she met actor Michel Ferracci, whom she subsequently married in 2014.
Cause of Death
In October 2023, Émilie made a public announcement regarding her struggle with adrenocortical carcinoma, a rare type of cancer that impacts the adrenal glands. Even while receiving treatment, she remained connected with her audience, providing updates and sustaining an active presence on social media.
Unfortunately, on March 16, 2025, Émilie Dequenne lost her life at the age of 43 at the Gustave-Roussy Hospital in Villejuif, France.
