Emily in Paris star Pierre Deny has died after being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. He was 69.
Deny’s daughters announced the French actor’s death in a statement Wednesday.
“It is with deep emotion that we announce the passing of Pierre Deny, which occurred this Monday following a sudden and severe case of ALS,” the statement said, according to the Daily Mail.
ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. There is no known cure.
Deny was in seasons three and four of the hit Netflix series starring Lily Collins. He played Louis de Léon, the CEO of fashion giant JVMA and father of Nicholas de Léon, played by Paul Forman, who dated Emily’s (Collins) best friend Mindy Chen, who is played by Ashley Park.
open image in galleryIn addition to his performance on Emily in Paris, he appeared as Renaud Dumaze in more than 500 episodes of the French soap opera Tomorrow is Ours between 2017 and 2023.
His Tomorrow is Ours co-star, Luce Mouchel, shared a tribute to Deny on Instagram, writing: “Pierre, seven years of filming together, taking the train together, having lunch together in the cafeteria, sometimes confiding in each other, occasionally inviting each other over and congratulating you on your hidden talent as a cook, introducing our daughters, going to applaud each other at the theater, habitually calling each other ‘doctor,’ and so much more.
“A little over a decade of shared life that shouldn’t have ended so quickly and so brutally. I’m thinking of your daughters and their exceptional courage. I’m thinking of you, of my last visit and your sparkling eyes. Rest in peace, Dr. Dumaze,” she wrote.
More to follow…