Nadia Farès, the celebrated French actress known for her role in “The Crimson Rivers,” has died at 57 following a swimming pool incident in Paris. She passed away on April 17 at Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital after spending nearly a week in a medically induced coma.
The actress had a history of serious health struggles, having undergone brain surgery in 2007 for an aneurysm, as well as three heart operations over four years. Despite these medical challenges, she remained dedicated to her craft and was actively working on new projects.
On April 11, Farès was discovered unconscious at a private sports club on Rue Blanche in Paris’s 9th arrondissement. Fellow swimmers pulled her from the water and administered CPR until emergency services arrived and transported her to the hospital where she suffered cardiac arrest.
Authorities have opened an investigation into the incident, though police have found no indication of foul play.
Her daughters, Cylia and Shana Chasman, released a statement through Agence France-Presse announcing their mother’s death. “It is with immense sadness that we announce the death this Friday of Nadia Farès. France has lost a great artist, but for us, it is above all a mother that we have just lost,” they wrote.
In an emotional Instagram tribute, Cylia described her mother’s death as “a heartbreak I will never get over,” writing that she prays each day that it is all a nightmare. She thanked her mother for fighting, for giving her life, and for every memory they shared together.
Cylia continued her emotional message, reflecting on their close bond during her mother’s final months. “I am so happy that we got even closer than we were before in your last few months. You understood me better than anyone, and I don’t know how I will recover,” she wrote, adding that her mother was not only an amazing parent but her best friend.
Farès achieved international fame starring opposite Jean Reno and Vincent Cassel in Mathieu Kassovitz’s 2000 psychological thriller “The Crimson Rivers”, playing the dual role of Fanny Ferreira and Judith Hérault. The film’s success launched her into Hollywood, where she appeared in 2007’s “War” alongside Jason Statham and Jet Li, and the Australian horror film “Storm Warning” that same year.
Born on December 20, 1968, in Marrakesh, Morocco, she was raised in Nice, France, before moving to Paris to pursue acting. Her screen career began in 1990 with a role in the French crime drama series “Navarro,” followed by her 1992 film debut in “My Wife’s Girlfriends.” Throughout the 1990s, she collaborated with prominent French directors including Alexandre Arcady, Claude Lelouch, and Bernie Bonvoisin, steadily building her reputation.
She married American film producer Steve Chasman in 2002 and moved to Los Angeles, where the couple had two daughters. Farès took a hiatus from acting in 2009 to focus on raising her family. After her marriage ended in 2022, she relocated back to France.
Her television work included a prominent role as Vanessa d’Abrantes across 14 episodes of the Netflix series “Marseille” between 2016 and 2018. Her most recent film, “Toujours Possible,” was released in 2025.
At the time of her death, Farès was preparing to make her directorial debut in September on an action-comedy she had written herself, with Studios TF1 attached to produce. She had spoken enthusiastically about the project in a January interview with Gala magazine.
Over her three-decade career, Farès demonstrated remarkable versatility, moving effortlessly between psychological thrillers, action films, and dramatic roles in both French cinema and Hollywood productions. Her talent and dedication earned her recognition as one of France’s most accomplished actresses of her generation.
At the time of her passing, estimates placed Farès’s net worth between $5 million and $10 million, accumulated through her extensive work in acting, endorsements, and producing.
The entertainment community in France and internationally has responded with an outpouring of grief on social media. Fans and colleagues have shared memories of her performances and expressed condolences to her family, remembering her as a radiant presence who brought intensity and elegance to every role.
Farès leaves behind a substantial artistic legacy that spans memorable performances from her breakthrough role in “The Crimson Rivers” to her final completed film and the unrealized directorial project. Her body of work will continue to inspire audiences and filmmakers for years to come.
