Pierre Deny, the French actor best known to American audiences for his role in the hit Netflix romantic comedy "Emily in Paris," died Monday following a rapid battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. He was 69.
"It is with deep emotion that we announce the death of Pierre Deny on Monday following a rapid ALS," his children said in a statement translated from French, per those outlets.
On "Emily in Paris," Deny portrayed Louis de Léon, the commanding CEO of JVMA—a fictional European conglomerate built around luxury goods. His character also served as the father of Nicolas de Léon, played by Paul Forman, who on the show was both a fashion designer and the love interest and former boarding school classmate of Emily's best friend, Mindy. The series stars Lily Collins in the lead role.
"Making Emily in Paris with this extraordinary cast and crew has been the trip of a lifetime," Star said in a statement. "As we embark on the final season, I am so grateful to Netflix, Paramount, and, most importantly, the fans who have taken this incredible journey with us. We can't wait to share this last chapter with you. Thank you for letting us be a part of your lives, inspiring your dreams of travel and your love of Paris. We will always have Emily in Paris!"
Also Known as Lou Gehrig's Disease
ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease after the baseball legend diagnosed with it, is a progressive nervous system disease that attacks the motor neurons controlling voluntary movement, according to the Mayo Clinic. As those neurons break down and die, the muscles they control gradually lose function—beginning with the arms, legs, or feet and eventually spreading to the muscles responsible for speaking, chewing, swallowing, and breathing. There is no cure.Early signs of the disease can be subtle and easy to overlook. They often include hand weakness or clumsiness, slurred speech, muscle twitching and cramps, or tripping and difficulty with routine physical tasks.
The cause of ALS remains unknown in the vast majority of cases, according to the clinic. About 10 percent of cases are hereditary—meaning a genetic mutation has been passed down through a family — while the rest are considered sporadic, with no clear family history, according to the MDA. Researchers believe that a combination of genetic factors and environmental exposures may play a role in who develops the disease.
Several FDA-approved treatments have emerged over the years to slow its progression or manage symptoms. Riluzole, approved in 1995, was the first drug authorized to treat ALS in the United States. Since then, additional therapies including edaravone and, most recently, tofersen—approved in April 2023 for a specific genetic form of ALS—have expanded the limited treatment options available to patients.