The veteran French actor starred as fashion boss Louis de Léon, the father of Paul Forman’s Nicholas de Léon.

Emily in Paris star Pierre Deny dies at 69 after ‘sudden’ ALS battle

The veteran French actor starred as fashion boss Louis de Léon, the father of Paul Forman's Nicholas de Léon.

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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May 27, 2026 10:50 a.m. ET

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Pierre Deny in 2019. Credit:

Marechal Aurore/ABACA/Shutterstock

- *Emily in Paris* alum Pierre Deny has died at 69.

- The veteran French actor died after a "sudden and severe case of ALS," his daughters announced.

- Deny starred in Seasons 3 and 4 of the Netflix series as fashion boss Louis de Léon.

Veteran French actor Pierre Deny, who starred as fashion boss Louis de Léon in *Emily in Paris*, has died after a battle with ALS. He was 69.

Deny's daughters announced his death in a statement shared with the French news agency AFP (via Le Parisien), which 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 progressive nervous system disease that affects cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control. Over time, it impairs patients’ ability to breathe, speak, and move, leading to full paralysis, according to the Mayo Clinic. There is no cure and the condition is 100% fatal. Earlier this year, *Grey's Anatomy* and *Euphoria* star Eric Dane died from his own battle with the disease.

Pierre Deny as Louis de Leon on 'Emily in Paris'.

Stephanie Branchu/Netflix

Deny appeared in the third and fourth seasons of the hit Netflix series, starring as the fictional CEO of fashion giant JVMA and father of Nicholas de Léon (Paul Forman), who dated Emily’s (Lily Collins) best friend Mindy Chen (Ashley Park).

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Prior to his role in the romantic comedy series about an American who lands her dream job in Paris, Deny starred in more than 500 episodes of soap opera *Demain nous Appartien (Tomorrow Belongs to Us*) as Renaud Dumaze. Deny was also known for roles in several other French series including, *Fabio Montale, Une femme d’honneur *and *Cinq soeurs*. More recently, he appeared in the French TV series *Le Fil d’Ariane* and *Camping Paradis.*

Bruno Gouery as Luc, Samuel Arnold as Julien, Paul Forman as Nicolas De Leon, Pierre Deny as Louis De Leon, Pierre Deny as Louis De Leon, Jeremy O. Harris on 'Emily in Paris'.

Marie Etchegoyen/Netflix

Tributes for the actor have already begun pouring in. His longtime co-star, Luce Mouchel, shared a touching tribute to the late star via Instagram, writing in the post translated from French, "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."

Bulgarian-French singer and actor Sylvie Vartan shared a tribute as well, writing, "I have just learned with great sadness of the passing of Pierre Deny. I shared some 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, all my thoughts are with his family and loved ones."

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