The Bulgarian actress Natalia Dontcheva, who found fame in France, has died at 56. Her passing was confirmed by her stepson Hugo Sélignac, who is a French producer and the son of director Arnaud Sélignac. Dontcheva and the filmmaker Arnaud had been together for 25 years. The family did not disclose a cause of death, but Hugo shared that the actress had undergone a “ten-year battle” in his Instagram post. Dontcheva was a well-known supporting actress in France and gained fame in the French version of Doc Martin on TF1 which was on the air for four years.
Doc Martin star Natalia Dontcheva’s death confirmed
A Deadline report also shared a statement from Dontcheva’s agent, Laurent Savry, who also confirmed her death. He shared, “A profoundly talented artist and woman of great sensitivity, Natalia Dontcheva touched audiences with the precision of her performances, her elegance and her dedication to her craft.”
Hugo Sélignac announces Natalia Dontcheva’s death
Stepson Hugo Sélignac also paid tribute with a moving message thanking her for joining their family. In French, he shared that she had no idea what a truly “beautiful” person he thought her to be or how much he loved her. While he had a stepmother before, Hugo thanked Natalia for giving him confidence in his teenage years and being proud of him.
He went on to thank her for welcoming his children as her own and most of all for taking care of his father Arnaud and making him a better man. Hugo ended his note saying that she was a rock in the Sélignac family, and now after a ten-year battle, she could finally rest.
Who was Natalia Dontcheva?
The actress, who is the daughter of veteran actor Plamen Dontchev, was born in Sofia, Bulgaria, on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 1969. While Natalia thought about studying medicine or international relations initially, she eventually followed her father Plamen into the arts.
Two decades later, Dontcheva moved to France after completing her training at the National Conservatory in Bulgaria. In Paris, she continued her studies at the Conservatoire de la Rue Blanche in Paris and began acting in theatre in plays such as William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. After making a name for herself with a few classic French plays, Dontcheva turned her attention to television.
On the French version of the British ITV series, Dontcheva played Julie Derville opposite Thierry Lhermitte. Her husband Arnaud also directed a few episodes of the French series. She last appeared in the 2019 drama Disturbing Disappearances and had been nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Quebec Cinema Awards for the 2019 Canadian film Sashinka.