Belgian actress Emilie Dequenne died of a rare cancer on Sunday in a hospital just outside Paris, her family and her agent confirmed. The Missing star revealed in October 2023 that she had been diagnosed with adrenocortical carcinoma, a rare and aggressive cancer of the adrenal gland.

Last year, Emilie revealed that she was in remission and had plans to return to acting. However, her condition worsened and she suffered a relapse at the end of 2024. She tragically told French TV show TF1 in December: “I know I will not live as long as planned.” Emilie had been married to actor Michel Ferracci since 2014, and she has a 22-year-old daughter named Milla Savarese.

Tributes have been pouring in following the news of Emilie’s untimely death. French actor Michael Youn penned: “Emilie, I thought you had won this fight against this filth. I am devastated to learn that you did not.

“For the duration of one film, The Crossing, you dazzled me with your talent and even more so with your kindness and humanity. I will forever remember the light in your eyes, the strength of your laughter, and the purity of your feelings. My thoughts are with Michel and Milla. Rest in peace.”

One fan wrote on X: “Devastating loss of Émilie Dequenne at the age of 43 to cancer. A fantastic actress, and so brilliant in her Cannes award winning performance in the Dardennes’ ROSETTA.”

Another said: “Immensely saddened to learn of the passing of Émilie Dequenne after a long battle with cancer. She was a great actress, and I will especially remember her role as a grieving mother in Lukas Dhont’s Close.”

And another added: “We’re heartbroken to read that Belgian actress Emilie Dequenne has died at the age of 43. Whenever you think of the finest screen acting debuts, Emilie’s ferocious performance in the Dardenne Brothers film Rosetta has to be mentioned. Such an exceptional talent.”

Emilie launched her career at age 18 in the 1999 drama film Rosetta. She received widespread acclaim for her portrayal and won best actress at the Cannes Film Festival and the Golden Palm.

She won a string of other awards for her roles in French-language films like The Girl on the Train (2009) and Our Children (2012). She also appeared as Laurence Relaud in the first series of BBC’s The Missing.

Emilie returned to Cannes in 2024 to mark the 25th anniversary of Rosetta and promote the disaster movie Survive. This would be the last film she appeared in before her illness forced her to stop working.