Natalia Dontcheva, the Bulgarian actress best known for starring in the French adaptation of Doc Martin on TF1, has died at the age of 56. Her death was confirmed by her stepson, French producer Hugo Sélignac, who referred to her having endured a "ten-year battle" without disclosing a specific cause of death. Her passing has prompted tributes from family and her professional representatives, who praised both her talent and her personal character.

Dontcheva was born in Sofia, Bulgaria, in 1969 and played the lead role in the French version of the British medical comedy-drama for four years, from 2011 to 2015. Her agent, Laurent Savry, described her as "a profoundly talented artist and woman of great sensitivity" who "touched audiences with the precision of her performances." She was later nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 2019 Quebec Cinema Awards for her role in Sashinka, and her most recent screen credit was in the French drama Disturbing Disappearances.