“Truly saddened by the news of the sudden passing of Charlbi Dean. It has been a gift to bear witness to her incredible talent.”
Global (31 August 2022) – People on social media are mourning the tragic passing of Charlbi Dean, an up-and-coming South African actress who tragically passed away weeks before her Oscar-tipped film “Triangle of Sadness”, which many believed was her big break into stardom.
A representative for the South African actress told TMZ that she sadly passed away Monday from an “unexpected sudden illness” in a New York City hospital.
Colleagues and industry leaders have taken to social media to express their sadness.
“What a massive shock and tragedy. She’s so witty and deadpan and clockwork-precise in Triangle of Sadness, and I was so excited to see a new South African talent on the international scene. My thoughts are with all her loved ones and collaborators.” – Guy Lodge, Film Critic for Variety, The Observer and The Guardian.
“Truly saddened by the news of Charlbi Dean’s sudden passing. It has been a gift to bear witness to her incredible talent in Triangle of Sadness, among many others.” – Toronto Film Festival.
“Absolutely saddened to hear about Charlbi Dean’s passing. A photographer pitched her to us for Evie’s next magazine. She’s so beautiful, talented, and so young. Only 32 years old and just wrapped a movie at Cannes. Gone too soon.” – Brittany Martinez, friend and media personality.
Dean was born and raised in Cape Town to Joanne and Johan Kriek. She began modelling at the age of six, appearing in commercials and catalogues. She signed with Alfa Model Management when she was 12 and was homeschooled from the age of 14. She travelled between Cape Town, where she attended Waterfront Theatre School, and the likes of Tokyo, New York, and London for her career.
In 2010, Dean made her acting debut in the film adaptation of Spud as Amanda, a role she would reprise in the sequel Spud 2: The Madness Continues. She went on to star in the films Don’t Sleep in 2017 and An Interview with God in 2018. During the same year, she landed the role of Syonide, a recurring character she played for two seasons of the DC Universe series Black Lightning.
In February 2020, it was announced Dean had joined the cast of Ruben Östlund’s satirical film Triangle of Sadness, which premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. Many believed this was her big break into Hollywood stardom.
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Watch the trailer for “Triangle of Sadness” below:
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