Actress Natalia Dontcheva Dies at the Age of 56 in France

Franco-Bulgarian actress Natalia Dontcheva died on 1 August at the age of 56, French television channel BFMTV reported, citing information published by the film magazine Le Film Français. The cause of her death has not been disclosed.

The sad news was also confirmed by her brother in a post on social media.

Natalia Dontcheva was born in Sofia in 1969 and was the daughter of actor Plamen Donchev. After growing up in Bulgaria, where she appeared in a number of film roles, she settled in Paris in 1989. In the French capital, she studied acting.

After attracting attention with one of the leading roles in an episode of the television series Joséphine, ange gardien, Doncheva went on to build a successful career in television, film and theatre. She appeared in numerous television dramas and productions, including Nestor Burma (1998), Julie Lescaut, Alice Nevers, Doc Martin—in which she played one of the lead roles alongside Thierry Lhermitte from 2011 to 2015—and Les Rivières pourpres, the publication noted.

On the big screen, Dontcheva appeared in Emmanuel Mouret's Mademoiselle de Joncquières (2018) and played the leading role in Laurent Boulanger's Un an (2006). On stage, she performed alongside Daniel Auteuil in The Imaginary Invalid in 2019 and also appeared in John Malkovich's production of Hysteria.

Dontcheva's stepson, film producer Hugo Sélignac, paid tribute to her in a post on Instagram, as quoted by BFMTV.

"Thank you for helping our father become a better person, but above all, thank you for taking care of him for 25 years, for admiring him, supporting him, forgiving him and, above all, for loving him so passionately."

Hugo Sélignac, who is the son of film director Arnaud Sélignac, added that Dontcheva would "finally be able to rest after a ten-year battle".

In a message posted on social media, Dontcheva's agent, Laurent Savry, paid tribute to "an exceptionally talented actress and a woman of great sensitivity" who "earned the respect of her fellow actors, directors, film crews and everyone who had the privilege of working with her", BFMTV reported.