Émilie Dequenne | |
|---|---|
Dequenne at the 2017International Film Festival Rotterdam | |
| Born | (1981-08-29)29 August 1981 Belœil, Belgium |
| Died | 16 March 2025(2025-03-16) (aged 43) Villejuif, France |
| Other names | Emilie Dequenne |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1999–2023 |
| Spouse | |
| Partner(s) | Alexandre Savarese (1999–2005) |
| Children | 1 |
Émilie Dequenne (French:[emilidəkɛn]; 29 August 1981 – 16 March 2025) was a Belgian actress. She first gained recognition for her role in theDardenne brothers' filmRosetta (1999), which earned her theCannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress. The film also won thePalme d'Or at the festival.[1]
Over her career, she appeared in a variety of films, including the period action horrorBrotherhood of the Wolf (2001), the dramaThe Girl on the Train (2009), the psychological dramaOur Children (2012), and the dramaLove Affair(s) (2020), the latter for which she won theCésar Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Dequenne was born inBeloeil in 1981[2] and her parents were Brigitte and Daniel. When she was twelve she began to attend the Académie de Musique et des Arts de la Parole inSaint-Ghislain.[3]
Her breakthrough role inRosetta established her as a notable talent in European cinema. She continued to work in both mainstream and independent films, such asChristophe Gans'sBrotherhood of the Wolf, which achieved significant commercial success, andJoachim Lafosse'sOur Children, for which she won the Un Certain Regard Award for Best Actress at the2012 Cannes Film Festival.[4] She also received theMagritte Award for Best Actress and aSatellite Award nomination for her performance in the film.[5][6]
Other notable films in her career includeThe Light (2004), the horror filmThe Pack (2010),[7] the romantic comedyNot My Type (2014), and the dramaThis Is Our Land (2017).
Dequenne had a daughter, Milla Savarese (b. 2002), with her partner, Belgian DJ Alexandre Savarese. The two were together from 1999 to 2005. In 2008, she met actorMichel Ferracci [fr], whom she would marry in 2014.[8][9]
She died at theGustave-Roussy Hospital inVillejuif, France, on 16 March 2025, after being diagnosed withadrenocortical carcinoma. She was 43.[10][11]
| Year | Association | Category | Work | Result | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Cannes Film Festival | Best Actress | Rosetta | Won | [13] |
| European Film Awards | European Actress | Nominated | |||
| 2000 | César Awards | Most Promising Actress | Rosetta | Nominated | |
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Most Promising Actress | Won | |||
| Joseph Plateau Awards | Best Belgian Actress | Won | |||
| 2001 | Cabourg Romantic Film Festival | Best new actress | Brotherhood of the Wolf | Won | |
| 2002 | Avanca Film Festival | Best acting | Oui, mais... | Won | |
| 2003 | César Awards | Most Promising Actress | Une femme de ménage | Nominated | |
| 2004 | Joseph Plateau Awards | Best Belgian Actress | Mariées mais pas trop | Nominated | |
| 2005 | César Awards | Best Supporting Actress | The Light | Nominated | |
| 2009 | Taormina Film Fest | Best Acting Performance | The Girl on the Train | Won | |
| 2010 | New York City Horror Film Festival | Best Actress | La Meute | Won | |
| 2012 | Cannes Film Festival | Best Actress | Our Children | Won | [14] |
| European Film Awards | European Actress | Nominated | |||
| Satellite Awards | Best Actress in a Motion Picture | Nominated | |||
| 2013 | Palm Springs International Film Festival | Best Actress | Our Children | Won | |
| Magritte Awards | Best Actress | Won | |||
| Dublin Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | |||
| Globes de Cristal Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | |||
| Trophees Francophones du Cinema | Best Actress | Nominated | |||
| 2014 | Cabourg Romantic Film Festival | Best Actress | Pas son genre | Won | |
| 2015 | César Awards | Best Actress | Pas son genre | Nominated | |
| Magritte Awards | Best Actress | Won | |||
| Globes de Cristal Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | |||
| Trophees Francophones du Cinema | Best Actress | Nominated | |||
| Lumière Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | |||
| 2018 | Magritte Awards | Best Actress | This Is Our Land | Won | [9] |
| 2021 | César Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Love Affair(s) | Won | [14] |
| 2022 | Magritte Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Love Affair(s) | Nominated | |
| 2023 | Magritte Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Close | Won | |
| Ostend Film Festival | Best Supporting Performance | Nominated | |||
| 2024 | CinEuphoria Awards | Best Ensemble | Close | Nominated | |
| Best Supporting Actress | Nominated |

| Year | Title | Author | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Lysistrata | Aristophanes | Natacha Gerritsen |
| 2006 | Miss Julie | August Strindberg | Didier Long |
| 2010 | Mon Tibet | Michel Lengliney | Didier Long (2) |