Nadia Farès, the acclaimed French actress best known for her role in “The Crimson Rivers,” has died at 57 following a drowning incident at a Paris swimming pool. She passed away on April 17 at Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital after spending nearly a week in a medically induced coma.
On April 11, Farès was discovered unconscious in a pool at a private sports club located on Rue Blanche in Paris’s 9th arrondissement. Other swimmers at the facility pulled her from the water and performed CPR until emergency responders arrived and transported her to the hospital.
Cylia and Shana Chasman, her daughters, released a statement to Agence France-Presse confirming the tragedy. “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.
Authorities have opened an investigation into what happened at the sports club, though police found no evidence of wrongdoing. The incident prompted an outpouring of grief on social media from fans and colleagues who celebrated the actress’s remarkable contributions to cinema.
Farès achieved international fame in 2000 starring opposite Jean Reno and Vincent Cassel in Mathieu Kassovitz’s acclaimed thriller “The Crimson Rivers,” where she played the dual role of Fanny Ferreira and Judith Hérault. That breakthrough performance launched her onto the global stage and led to Hollywood opportunities, including roles in the 2007 action thriller “War” opposite Jason Statham and Jet Li, and the Australian horror film “Storm Warning” the same year.
Born in Marrakesh, Morocco, on December 20, 1968, Farès spent her childhood in Nice, France, before moving to Paris to pursue acting. Her film career launched in 1992 with “My Wife’s Girlfriends,” and she spent the following decade collaborating with esteemed French directors including Alexandre Arcady, Claude Lelouch, and Bernie Bonvoisin.
Her television career began in 1990 with an appearance in the French crime drama series “Navarro.” Years later, she gained widespread recognition for portraying Vanessa d’Abrantes in 14 episodes of the popular Netflix series “Marseille” from 2016 to 2018.
In recent years, Farès had been open about facing significant health struggles. She underwent brain surgery to treat an aneurysm in 2007 and had three heart operations over a four-year span. Despite these medical challenges, she remained committed to her craft and continued working in film and television.
Farès married American film producer Steve Chasman in 2002 and subsequently moved to Los Angeles. The couple welcomed two daughters before Farès took a break from acting in 2009 to devote time to raising her family. After separating from Chasman in 2022, she returned to France.
She had been planning to make her directorial debut this September on an action comedy she had written, produced by Studios TF1. In a January interview with Gala magazine, she expressed excitement about the project. Her most recent film, “Toujours Possible,” was released in 2025.
In a poignant Instagram tribute, daughter 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 also wrote about their strengthened relationship in the final months of her mother’s life. “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.
Over a three-decade career, Farès demonstrated remarkable versatility, moving effortlessly between psychological thrillers, action films, and dramatic roles in both French cinema and Hollywood productions. This range established her as one of France’s most talented actresses of her generation.
At the time of her death, 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 been shaken by the actress’s sudden death. Social media tributes have poured in from fans sharing memories of her performances and offering condolences to her family, with many noting that her legacy extends beyond her memorable screen roles to include her radiant presence and the intensity and elegance she brought to every project.
As France mourns the loss of one of its celebrated artists, Farès’s body of work remains a testament to her talent and dedication. From her breakthrough in “The Crimson Rivers” to her final film and unrealized directorial debut, she leaves behind a significant artistic legacy that will continue to inspire audiences and filmmakers for years to come.
