French actress Nadia Fares has died after being found unconscious in the swimming pool of a luxury Parisian gym.
The 57-year-old was best-known for her starring performance in the psychological thriller The Crimson River, and was slated to direct her first feature film later this year.
Fares’ two daughters announced her passing yesterday evening, sharing that she had drowned in an high-end sports club in the Blanche and Montmartre area of the French capital.
“It is with immense sadness that we announce the passing of Nadia Farès this Friday,” they wrote.
“France has lost a great artist, but for us, it is above all a mother we have just lost.”
Last weekend, the actress had been swimming laps of the plush pool when she suddenly lost consciousness.
Several minutes later, another swimmer rushed to her aid and prolonged efforts to revive her through CPR.
She was rushed to Pitie-Salpetriere hospital and placed in a medically induced coma, until she suffered a cardiac arrest and died.
Born in Morocco in 1968, Fares’ family moved to the south of France when she was a child.
She was offered her first TV roles in the early 90s and broke into the mainstream in Elles n’oublient jamais (They Never Forget).
In the steamy thriller, Fares played a young mistress of a married man who becomes convinced she is having an affair.
She went on to form a partnership with director Bernie Bonvoisin after starring his 1997 comedy Les Demons de Jesus – going on to make three films together.
But Fares’ career-defining performance came in Mathieu Kassovitz’s Les Rivières pourpres (The Crimson Rivers), in which she starred alongside French icon Jean Reno.
She plays the dual role of twin sisters Fanny Fereira and Judith Herault, and was hailed for her unique screen presence.
On set, Reno rescued her from a potentially fatal accident when a piece of equipment broke.
Fares stepped back from acting for a decade between 2007 and 2017, moving to Los Angeles with Fast and Furious producer husband Steve Chasman.
She would not return to France until after her divorce, when she was cast in comedy Chacun sa vie et son intime conviction (Everyone’s Life).
After landing a major acting role in the Netflix series Marseille, she was due to step behind the camera and direct a comedy film later this year.
Fares has been open about her health struggles, having already undergone three heart surgeries within four years.
In 2007, she underwent brain surgery after suffering an aneurysm.
She is survived by her daughters Cylia and Shana Chasman.
This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission
