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Nathalie Baye, César-Winning French Film Icon, Dies at 77

Tributes from France’s president underscore her central place in national cinema.

Overview

  • Her family told AFP she died Friday, April 17, at her Paris home from complications of Lewy body dementia.
  • Senior officials led tributes, including President Emmanuel Macron calling her an actress audiences “loved, dreamed, and grew up” with.
  • Baye’s five-decade career spanned roughly 80 films and four César wins, with international turns in Catch Me If You Can and Downton Abbey: A New Era.
  • Her screen work continued into recent years, with a final credit in 2023 after months out of public view.
  • Lewy body dementia is a progressive brain disease that can cause memory problems, movement difficulties, and visual hallucinations; she is survived by her daughter, actress Laura Smet.