Paul Forman, star of Netflix's Emily In Paris, has paid tribute to Pierre Deny, the actor who played his on-screen father, following his death at 69.
Forman, 32, appeared in 19 episodes of the romantic comedy as Nicolas De Leon, an executive of his family’s high-powered conglomerate, JVMA, which Deny’s character, Louis De Leon, ran.
Deny featured in three episodes of the hit show, but was better known in his native France for series including the soap Demain Nous Appartient and the campsite drama Camping Paradis.
In a post on social media, Forman said: “Heartbroken to hear of the passing of Pierre Deny.
“It was a privilege to work alongside him and to witness his warmth and talent up close.
“Thinking of his family and loved ones. Rest in peace.”
Deny’s daughters said in a statement to French press agency Agence France-Presse (AFP): “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 (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).”
Deny began his career on French medical drama Medecins De Nuit in 1986 and Deny appeared as Dr. Renaud Dumaze in more than 500 episodes of the French soap opera Tomorrow is Ours between 2017 and 2023.
He also appeared in the films The African Woman (1990), The Role Of Her Life (2004) and Another Woman’s Life (2012).
His longtime Tomorrow is Ours co-star, Luce Mouchel, shared a tribute to Deny on Instagram, writing in French: “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.
It is unclear when Deny was diagnosed with ALS. His last Instagram post is from October and promoted a reading he did in Paris.
The NHS says ALS is the most common form of motor neurone disease (MND), with early symptoms including muscle weakness in the arms and legs that can cause sufferers to trip and drop things.
Emily In Paris is to return for its sixth and final series in the near future after filming began near Greece earlier this month.
