French actress Nadia Farès, widely recognized for her role as Fanny in the 2000 thriller “Les Rivières pourpres,” has died at the age of 57. Her passing was confirmed by her daughters, Cylia and Shana Chasman, who announced her death on Friday, April 17, 2026, following a week-long hospitalization after she was found unconscious in a Paris swimming pool.
According to reports from French news outlets, Farès was discovered unresponsive at the Blanche sports complex pool in the 9th arrondissement of Paris on Sunday, April 11, 2026. She was immediately transported to La Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital, where medical staff placed her in an artificial coma. Despite intensive care, she did not regain consciousness and succumbed to her condition six days later.
The actress had maintained a relatively low public profile in recent years, having stepped back from active film and television function after her appearance in the Canal+ series “Marseille,” which aired from 2016 to 2018. Prior to that, she built a reputation in French cinema during the late 1990s and early 2000s for portraying strong, resilient women in male-dominated genres, particularly in action thrillers and socially charged dramas.
Farès began her acting career in the early 1990s, with her first televised appearance in an episode of the police series “Navarro” in 1993. Her breakthrough came two years later with a leading role in Bertrand Blier’s 1995 film “Tout ça… Pour ça !”, but it was her performance as Marie, a sharp-tongued supermarket cashier, in Bernie Bonvoisin’s 1997 dark comedy “Les Démons de Jésus” that garnered critical attention and established her as a distinctive voice in French cinema.
It was, however, her role in Mathieu Kassovitz’s “Les Rivières pourpres” (2000) that brought her international recognition. Starring alongside Jean Reno and Vincent Cassel, Farès played Fanny, a glacial expert whose analytical mind and quiet determination proved pivotal in unraveling the film’s complex mystery. The movie, an adaptation of Jean-Christophe Grangé’s bestselling novel, became a cult classic and significantly elevated her profile beyond France.
Following this success, she continued to take on physically and emotionally demanding roles, most notably as Lieutenant Sandra Négrier in the 2002 action film “Nid de guêpes,” directed by Florent Emilio Siri. In that film, she led an elite police unit escorting a crime boss, sharing screen time with Samy Naceri, Benoît Magimel, and Pascal Greggory. Her portrayal of a disciplined, capable woman in a high-stakes, masculine environment was widely praised and further cemented her image as a formidable screen presence.
Born in December 1968 in Marrakech, Morocco, to a Moroccan father and Armenian mother, Farès moved to France at a young age and grew up in Nice before settling in Paris. She often spoke about her multicultural heritage in interviews, noting how it influenced her perspective and approach to acting. In a 2019 podcast appearance, she described acting as a “privilege” that allowed her to “enter the lives of characters who are strong,” calling it an “extraordinary” experience.
Her daughters’ tribute on social media reflected the personal loss felt by her immediate family. Cylia Chasman wrote on Instagram: “Tu étais mon modèle. Tu n’étais pas seulement une mère incroyable mais aussi ma meilleure amie. Je t’aime, je t’aime, je t’aime. Veille sur moi s’il te plaît, repose en paix maman,” a message that was widely shared and commented upon by fans and colleagues in the French entertainment industry.
As of now, no official cause of death has been released by medical authorities or the family. The incident remains under investigation, though early reports indicate no signs of foul play. Further updates are expected from the Paris public prosecutor’s office, which typically oversees inquiries into sudden or unexplained deaths.
Nadia Farès leaves behind a legacy defined by her commitment to authentic, powerful performances and her refusal to be typecast. She is survived by her two daughters, who have requested privacy during this tricky time.
For ongoing updates on this story, readers are encouraged to follow official statements from the family or verified reports from reputable news agencies such as Agence France-Presse (AFP) and Reuters.
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