Nathalie Baye
‘Downton Abbey’ Star Dead at 77
Published
“Downton Abbey” star Nathalie Baye reportedly died Friday.
She died in the evening at her home in Paris following a Lewy body dementia diagnosis, her family told French press agency, AFP.
Lewy body dementia is one of the most common forms of dementia, and symptoms include visual hallucinations, according to Alzheimers.gov. It leads to problems with thinking, movement, behavior, and mood.
Nathalie played Madame de Montmirail in the 2022 film, “Downton Abbey: A New Era.” Her character is a longtime friend of Maggie Smith‘s Violet Crawley.
She is also known for her role in Steven Spielberg‘s “Catch Me if You Can,” where she acted opposite Leonardo DiCaprio‘s as his character’s mother.
She landed her breakout role in 1973’s “Day For Night” and has more than 100 acting credits to her name, last playing Hélène in 2023’s romance/drama film “Mother Valley.”
She has 1 child, whom she shared with her ex, “French Elvis” Johnny Hallyday. Their daughter, Laura Smet, is also an actress.
She was 77.
RIP