Nathalie Baye and her daughter Laura Smet attend the premiere of “Marie-Octobre” at the 10th Festival of Fiction TV in La Rochelle on September 20, 2008. Claude Medale / Corbis via Getty Images
Following the death of Nathalie Baye on Friday evening at her home, taken by Lewy body disease, tributes pour in to honor the memory of the 77-year-old actress.
One of the most anticipated tributes was from her only daughter, Laura Smet, born in 1983 from her relationship with Johnny Hallyday.
“Maman, I lost half of my heart, you were the best mother in the world. I am sending you these few words without really believing it yet, but I wanted to thank you for all your testimonies and words that touch me enormously,” wrote the 42-year-old actress on her Instagram account on April 19. “I love her so much, take care of yourselves and your loved ones, it’s so precious,” she concluded, sharing a photo of herself as a child in her mother’s arms.
This is the first time since Friday that Laura Smet has publicly spoken on behalf of her mother.
“From Truffaut to Godard, from Daniel Vigne to Spielberg, Nathalie was the quintessential French actress, the good friend. Beloved by all, she acted, she lived,” reacted Gilles Jacob, the former president of the Cannes Film Festival, to AFP on Saturday.
“Nathalie, you take with you our laughter and the tender memories of our beginnings,” actor Richard Berry addressed her on Instagram while Xavier Dolan mentioned their “Montreal conversations in the editing room” and saluted her with a few verses from Victor Hugo.
Culture Minister Catherine Pégard lamented the loss of an “immense actress,” while Sandrine Kiberlain remembered her voice, “that tone that marked my adolescence and my life.” Producer Dominique Besnehard, once her agent, reminded on RTL that “women adored her and men respected her.”
