Catch ​Me If You ⁠Can Actress Nathalie Baye Dies At 77; French President Remembers Leonardo DiCaprio's Onscreen Mother

Nathalie Baye, who is best known to Hollywood for her turn as Leonardo DiCaprio's mother in Catch Me if You Can, died on April 17 in Paris, France. The French actress was 77 and had been suffering from Lewy body dementia.

Baye's family announced her death a day later, revealing that the iconic actress died at home yesterday evening. She had not been seen in public for several months.

Acting in around 80 films in five decades, Baye was a ten-time César Award nominee and won the French Oscar equivalent four times. French President Emmanuel Macron led the tributes for the cinema legend.

,Nathalie Baye dies at 77 in Paris,For the last few years, Baye had been suffering from a terrible neurodegenerative disease called Lewy body dementia that causes confusion, difficulty moving, depression and hallucinations.

After Baye's family, including daughter, actress Laura Smet and brother, Louis Baye, announced her death, the tributes poured in for the French icon. President Macron posted a tribute on X that showed admiration for the veteran.

, ,Noting that she had worked with legends of French cinema, Macron noted that Baye was an actress audiences had "loved, dreamed, and grew up" with. He paid condolences to her family and loved ones.

,Early life and career highlights ,Baye was born in Normandy on July 6, 1948. As a young girl, she trained in dancing before taking acting lessons in Paris.

Her big break in cinema came in François Truffaut's classic 1973 comedy Day for Night, in which she played a script girl. She would go on to work with other legendary filmmakers such as Jean-Luc Godard, Maurice Pialat and Claude Chabrol.