South African actress and model Charlbi Dean has passed away at the age of 32. The actress is said to have died of a sudden unexpected illness. More details of the circumstances around her death are awaited; however, a source has confirmed that she died in an NYC hospital on Monday.
Dean received wide acclaim after starring in the 2022 Palme d’Or-winning film Triangle of Sadness. She was also known for her role as Syonide in DC Comics series Black Lightning which aired on The CW. Read on to know more about the actress and her career.
Charlbi Dean Started Modeling at the Age of 6
The actress and model, who was born on February 5, 1990, in Cape Town, started her modeling career at six years of age by appearing in commercials and catalogs. She was signed by Alfa Model Management when she was 12 and started getting homeschooled at the age of 14.
Dean attended a theatre school in Cape Town and traveled across Tokyo, New York and London for acting and modeling gigs. She made her film debut in 2010 with the film adaptation of the novel Spud. Dean was cast as Amanda in this boarding-school comedy film by Donovan Marsh, which starred John Cleese and Troye Sivan.
She went on to reprise her role in the sequel, Spud 2: The Madness Continues, in 2013. The actress then shifted her focus to American cinema and appeared in Death Race 3: Inferno (2013), Blood in the Water (2016), Don’t Sleep (2017), and Porthole (2018).
Charlbi had a Recurring Role in Black Lightning
Charlbi Dean also starred in a couple of TV shows. In 2017, she guest starred in one of the episodes of CBS’ Elementary, a procedural drama based on Sherlock Holmes. In 2018, the actress was cast in the superhero series Black Lightning as Syonide, an orphan-turned-assassin who was trained by Tobias Whale.
She appeared in nine episodes of the show during the first two seasons. In January this year, Dean signed with UTA and was represented by Silver Lining Entertainment. She also appeared on the cover of GQ in December 2008 and Elle in July 2010 for the South African editions of the magazines.
The Actress had Breakthrough with Triangle of Sadness
Charlbi’s most acclaimed performance remains her lead role in the 2022 satirical dark comedy Triangle of Darkness. The film revolved around a wrecked cruise ship and its passengers getting washed ashore. Charlbi starred as Yaya opposite Harris Dickinson’s Carl. The two played a high-fashion celebrity couple in the film.
Written and directed by Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund, Triangle of Darkness went on to win the highest honor at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, the Palme d’Or. The film has also been selected for the upcoming Toronto Film Festival and New York Film Festival; and will release in theatres on October 7.
When the movie won at Cannes, Dean celebrated by writing, “Congratulations our family we did it!!! @ruben_ostlund you’re the GOAT I’m forever thankful for you for trusting me to be apart of your genius and my dear @sinaostlund Can’t believe I had the best year making this during one of the hardest times in my life. . Forever and always our @triangleofsadness family.”
Our heart goes out to the family of Charlbi Dean in this moment of grief. Stay tuned for more news and updates.
