Natalia Dontcheva Dies: Star Of French Version Of ‘Doc Martin’ Was 56 — SkimNews
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- Natalia Dontcheva, the Bulgarian actress who starred in the French version of 'Doc Martin' on TF1, has died at age 56, confirmed by her stepson, French producer Hugo Sélignac, without a disclosed cause of death.
- Hugo Sélignac, whose father is director Arnaud Selignac, referenced Dontcheva's "ten-year battle" and said: "You can't imagine how wonderful I thought you were and how deeply loved you were."
- Laurent Savry, Dontcheva's agent, issued a statement announcing her passing and calling her "a profoundly talented artist and woman of great sensitivity" whose performances showed "precision" and "elegance."
- Dontcheva was born in Sofia, Bulgaria, in 1969 and led the French adaptation of the British ITV series for four years between 2011 and 2015.
- Dontcheva's most recent credit was the French drama Disturbing Disappearances, and she earned a 2019 Best Supporting Actress nomination at the Quebec Cinema Awards for her role in Sashinka.
Why it matters: Dontcheva's four-year run as the lead of TF1's 'Doc Martin' made her a fixture of mainstream French television for an audience far larger than her Bulgarian origins or later Quebec-connected film work would suggest, leaving the French adaptation's loyal viewership without its central figure.
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