A beloved French actor who took on a pivotal role in Emily in Paris has died aged 69 after a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as ALS.
Pierre Deny appeared in seasons three and four of Netflix’s hit series starring Lily Collins, where he played Louis de Léon, CEO of fashion giant JVMA.
He played the father of Nicholas de Leon (Paul Forman), who dated Emily’s best friend, Mindy Chen (Ashley Park).
His passing on Monday from complications from the disease was confirmed by his daughters in a statement.
It read, ‘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.’
ALS is a nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, leading to loss of muscle control and paralysis as it gets worse over time, per the Mayo Clinic.
Beloved French actor Pierre Deny, who took on a pivotal role in Emily In Paris, has died aged 69 after a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as ALS.
Deny appeared in seasons three and four of Netflix ’s hit series starring Lily Collins , where he played Louis de Léon, CEO of fashion giant JVMA.
There is no cure for ALS and the disease is fatal, but it progresses at different speeds in patients.
Bulgarian-French singer and actress Sylvie Vartan paid tribute to Deny, writing on Instagram: ‘It is with great sadness that I learned of the passing of Pierre Deny.
‘I shared many wonderful moments with him on stage in Isabelle Mergault’s play.
‘He was a generous actor and a sensitive and funny man. In these painful moments, my thoughts are with his family and loved ones.’
Deny was known for his acclaimed television roles, and appeared in more than 500 episodes of soap opera, Demain nous appartien (Tomorrow Belongs To Us).
His co-star Luce Mouchel shared a poignant tribute to the star writing: ‘Pierre, 7 years of filming together, taking the train together, having lunch at the canteen together.
‘Sometimes confiding, inviting each other from time to time and congratulating you for your hidden cooking talent, meeting our girls, clapping at the theater, calling each other “Doctor” usually, and I forget.
‘A short decade of shared life that should not have ended so quickly and so brutally. I’m thinking of your daughters and their exceptional courage.
‘Thinking of you, my last visit and your sparkling eyes, rest in peace, Dr. Dumaze.’
Deny was known for his acclaimed television roles, and appeared in more than 500 episodes of soap opera, Demain nous appartien (Tomorrow Belongs To Us) – pictured 2024
Deny’s death comes three months after the passing of Grey’s Anatomy star Eric Dane at age 53 from ALS – pictured June 2025
Grey’s Anatomy star Eric Dane died from the disorder aged 53 on February 19 2026.
Dane first revealed his ALS diagnosis in April 2025.
‘I have been diagnosed with ALS,’ he told People at the time. ‘I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter.’
In his interview with Sawyer for Good Morning America in June, Dane spoke about how he was processing his health battle.
‘I wake up every day, and I’m immediately reminded that this is happening,’ he said. ‘It’s not a dream.’
Dane’s wife, Rebecca Gayheart, also opened up about how their family was dealing with his ‘heartbreaking’ diagnosis.
She said that their teenage daughters were talking to therapists as their father battled with the progressive neurodegenerative disease.
‘I mean, it’s heartbreaking,’ she told People. ‘My girls are really suffering, and we’re just trying to get through it. It’s a tough time.
Deny is seen second left at the 2008 Cannes premiere of Waltz with Bashir
‘We have some professional therapists who are helping us, and we’re just trying to have some hope and do it with dignity, grace and love.’
Dane and Gayheart wed in 2004. They were married for 14 years before she filed for divorce in 2018. However, the pair called off the split seven years later, and they remained married until his death.
Dane announced his diagnosis just a month after Gayheart requested to dismiss her divorce filing.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS): Details of fatal disease there is no cure for
What is it?
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurogenerative disorder which impacts the nerve cells in the spinal cord and the brain, according to the Mayo Clinic. It gets progressively worse and causes significant muscle control loss in people who have it.
Treatment
There is no cure for ALS and the disease is fatal, but it progresses at different speeds in patients.
Symptoms
The first signs of ALS are twitching of the muscles, weaknesses of the limbs and problems with swallowing and speaking. Progressively, it deteriorates muscle control and impacts an individual’s ability to breathe, move, speak and eat.
ALS symptoms correspond with where nerve cells deteriorate in each person, and could lead to issues walking, tripping, and weakness of the knees, ankles and hands.
It can also lead to problems with muscle cramps and twitching in areas including one’s tongue, arms and shoulders. People with ALS have experienced untimely spells of laughter, tears and yawns, as well as changes to one’s thinking process or behavior, according to the clinic.
Risk factors
Among the risk factors researchers have established for ALS include genetics, as about 10 percent of people diagnosed with it were passed down a gene from a relative, which is called hereditary ALS, according to the clinic. Kids of people who have hereditary ALS have a 50 percent chance of having the gene.
Age is also a factor as the risk of getting the disease trends up toward the age of 75, with the most common range of people who have it between 60 and 85. In terms of gender, men are diagnosed with a higher rate of ALS prior to the age of 65, according to the clinic.
Other factors that have been linked to ALS include smoking and exposure to toxic substances. The clinic reported that military personnel have been diagnosed with ALS at a higher rate.
Causes
There is no known cause of ALS, according to the Mayo Clinic, and heredity plays a factor in a small number of cases.
Lou Gehrig was one of baseball’s preeminent stars while playing for the Yankees between 1923 and 1939. Known as ‘The Iron Horse,’ he played in 2,130 consecutive games before ALS forced him to retire. The record was broken by Cal Ripken Jr. in 1995
Lou Gehrig’s Disease
As well as being known as ALS, it is frequently referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Lou Gehrig was a stalwart first baseman for the New York Yankees between 1923 and 1939. He was famous for his strength and durability, earning the nickname ‘The Iron Horse’ with a record-setting streak of 2,130 consecutive games.
In a July 4, 1939 speech on Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day at Yankee Stadium, the ballplayer famously said, ‘For the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.’
His popularity and fame transcended the sport of baseball. He died two years after his diagnosis on June 2, 1941.
