Charlbi Dean, who played the lead in “Triangle of Sadness,” died unexpectedly. Prior to acting in Ruben stlund’s Triangle of Sadness, which took home the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, the South African model and actress appeared as a regular on The CW’s Black Lightning. Dean, a Cape Town native, began her career as a child model before making her acting debut in the 2010 film Spud. Prior to his recurrent role as the villain Syonide on Black Lightning, Dean appeared in the film’s sequel.
Most recently, Dean was cast as the lead in stlund’s Triangle of Sadness, a film that premiered to rave reviews at Cannes and has since been gaining Oscar talk. A sudden sickness, the medical term for a rapid decline in health that cannot be attributed to a specific cause like an infection or trauma, ultimately led to Dean’s death. Not much is known about Dean’s death at this time, but it’s tragic that she should pass very just after Triangle of Sadness brought her skill to a wider audience.
The fact that Dean was just 32 years old makes her untimely passing all the more painful. Dean played Yaya, one half of a celebrity model duo comprised of himself and Carl, in Triangle of Sadness (Harris Dickinson). The pair have been invited on a voyage on a ship built specifically for the world’s wealthiest individuals. An inebriated captain (Woody Harrelson), a sunken ship, and a remote island force the wealthy aristocracy to battle for their lives and put a quick end to their vacation plans. Iris Berben (Eddie the Eagle), Sunnyi Melles (The Awakening of Motti Wolkenbruch), Henrik Dorsin (Solsidan), Dolly De Leon (Verdict), Vicki Berlin (Forbrydelsen), Oliver Ford Davies (Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace), and Arvin Kananian also star (Aniara).
The film, which stlund wrote, directed, and produced with Erik Hemmendorff and Philippe Bober, will debut on October 7th in theatres throughout the world. Our hearts go out to Dean’s loved ones at this time.