What happened to Emilie Dequenne? Tributes pour in as The Brotherhood of the Wolf actress dies at 43

Belgian actress Émilie Dequenne passed away of a rare cancer on March 16, 2025. She was 43.

She reportedly died in a hospital outside of Paris, her agent Danielle Gain told French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP). In October 2023, the award-winning actress announced her struggle, revealing that she was battling a cancer of the adrenal gland known as adrenocortical carcinoma, reported Entertainment Weekly.

According to Cleveland Clinic, adrenocortical carcinoma is a rare type of cancer that affects the adrenal cortex, the outer layer of the adrenal glands. These glands manage your body’s metabolism, blood pressure, and how you react to stress.

After discovering her disease, Dequenne took a hiatus from acting and was forced to take a break. She had been documenting her journey on social media. Her last film appearance was in the English-language disaster movie Survive, released in 2024.

Born on August 29, 1981. Dequenne catapulted to fame at the young age of 17 when she landed the role of Rosetta, a drama directed by Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne. Her performance made her win the award for the Best Actress at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival, as per the outlet.

Tributes have been pouring in for the late actress on social media. Her admirers, friends, and colleagues have expressed their grief as they remember her legacy.

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Netizens pay their tribute as Émilie Dequenne passes away after battling cancer

Many fans of Émilie Dequenne took to the internet to pay their condolences to the actress, through her remarkable works in the film industry.

“Émilie Dequenne at 18 winning best actress at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival for her film debut Rosetta (1999), which also won the Palm D’or. Rest in peace Émilie.” A fan wrote.

“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 fan added.

“Devastating loss of #ÉmilieDequenne at the age of 43 to cancer. A fantastic belgian actress,and so brilliant in her #Cannes award winning performance in the Dardennes’ #Rosetta. Rest in Peace.” One person commented.

“I watched Rosetta recently and was absolutely floored by her performance. Rest in peace, Emilie Dequenne.” A user replied.

“so incredibly sad to hear about emilie dequenne’s passing from cancer. an absolute underrated gem— she had such wonderful performances in films like rosetta (1999), brotherhood of the wolf (2001), the girl on the train (2009), this is our land (2017), & so many more.” Someone else said.

“RIP Émilie Dequenne, 1981-2025” A user added.

According to a report in Deadline, Dequenne studied at Belgium’s Music & Spoken Word Academy in Baudour and developed a passion for acting at the age of 12. Eventually she landed her first breakthrough role in Rosetta.

She is best known for her roles in The Girl on the Train, The United States of Albert, Our Children, and Brotherhood of the Wolf.

She reportedly made her last public appearance at the Cannes Film Festival in 2024 to mark the 25th anniversary of her celebrated film, Rosetta, with the Dardenne brothers and to promote her 2024 film, Survive.