Young South African actress Charlbi Dean, who most recently appeared in “Triangle of Sadness,” the Palme d’Or winner from this year, passed away on Monday in New York from an unexpected illness, Variety has confirmed. She was 32.
Dean also had an appearance in The CW’s “Black Lightning,” based on the DC Comics. She appeared in nine episodes across two seasons as the expert assassin Syonide.
She made her acting debut in 2010’s South African film “Spud” and made a comeback in “Spud 2: The Madness Continues” (2013).
Ruben Stlund’s “Triangle of Sadness,” a satirical dark comedy, was her debut feature. The co-leader standing alongside Harris Dickinson was Dean.
They portrayed Carl and Yaya, a high-fashion celebrity couple who are invited on a luxury cruise that initially appears to be a haven for affluent social media influencers. However, they quickly learn that their shipmates include a Marxist captain, a Russian oligarch, a British arms dealer, and other criminals. On board the ship, the balance of power changes, and class conflict develops.
Dolly de Leon, Zlatko Buric, Iris Berben, Vicki Berlin, Henrik Dorsin, Jean-Christophe Folly, Amanda Walker, Oliver Ford Davies, and Sunnyi Melles are among the cast members in addition to Woody Harrelson, who plays the ship’s captain.
The film, which was well-received at the Cannes Film Festival, will debut on October 8 in the United States. After the film’s Cannes debut, Neon purchased it for about $8 million. Both the New York Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival will show it.
Dean’s other credits included the sci-fi action film “Death Race 3: Inferno,” the thriller “Blood in the Water,” the horror film “Don’t Sleep,” the drama “An Interview With God” and the TV series “Elementary.”
Dean started modeling at the age of 6 and signed with Alfa Model Management at 12. He has since been on magazine covers, in commercials, and in catalogs.