Tchéky Karyo: Difference between revisions

 

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”’Tchéky Karyo”’ ({{IPA|fr|tʃeki kɑʁjo|lang}}; born ”’Baruh Djaki Karyo”’;<ref name=”prem” /> 4 October 1953 – 31 October 2025)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lefigaro.fr/cinema/l-acteur-tcheky-karyo-est-mort-a-l-age-de-72-ans-20251031|title=L’acteur Tchéky Karyo est mort à l’âge de 72 ans|website=[[Le Figaro|Figaro]]}}{{in lang|fr}}</ref> was a Turkish-born French actor and musician. Beginning his career as an actor on stage in classical and contemporary plays, he later worked as a character actor in films in the 1980s. He has acted in numerous films by Hollywood and French directors, including [[Luc Besson]]. He was nominated for a [[César Award for Most Promising Actor]] for his performance in the 1982 film ”[[La Balance]]”.

”’Tchéky Karyo”’ ({{IPA|fr|tʃeki kɑʁjo|lang}}; born ”’Baruh Djaki Karyo”’;<ref name=”prem” /> 4 October 1953 – 31 October 2025)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lefigaro.fr/cinema/l-acteur-tcheky-karyo-est-mort-a-l-age-de-72-ans-20251031|title=L’acteur Tchéky Karyo est mort à l’âge de 72 ans|website=[[Le Figaro|Figaro]]}}{{in lang|fr}}</ref> was a Turkish-born French actor and musician. Beginning his career as an actor on stage in classical and contemporary plays, he later worked as a character actor in films in the 1980s. He has acted in numerous films by Hollywood and French directors, including [[Luc Besson]]. He was nominated for a [[César Award for Most Promising Actor]] for his performance in the 1982 film ”[[La Balance]]”.

His film credits include ”[[La Femme Nikita (film)|La Femme Nikita]]”, ”[[Vincent and Me]]”, ”[[Nostradamus (1994 film)|Nostradamus]]”, ”[[Crying Freeman (film)|Crying Freeman]]”, ”[[Bad Boys (1995 film)|Bad Boys]]”, ”[[GoldenEye]]”, ”[[The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc]]”, ”[[The Patriot (2000 film)|The Patriot]]” and ”[[Kiss of the Dragon]]”. His television roles include [[Willy Rozenbaum|Dr. Willy Rozenbaum]] in the [[HBO]] film ”[[And the Band Played On (film)|And the Band Played On]]”, [[Georges Méliès]] in the HBO miniseries ”[[From the Earth to the Moon (miniseries)|From the Earth to the Moon]]”, and French detective Julien Baptiste in the [[BBC]] crime drama ”[[The Missing (British TV series)|The Missing]]”, and its spin-off series ”[[Baptiste (TV series)|Baptiste]]” (2019–21).

His film credits include ”[[La Femme Nikita (film)|La Femme Nikita]]”, ”[[Vincent and Me]]”, ”[[Nostradamus (1994 film)|Nostradamus]]”, ”[[Crying Freeman (film)|Crying Freeman]]”, ”[[Bad Boys (1995 film)|Bad Boys]]”, ”[[GoldenEye]]”, ”[[The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc]]”, ”[[The Patriot (2000 film)|The Patriot]]” and ”[[Kiss of the Dragon]]”. His television roles include [[Willy Rozenbaum|Dr. Willy Rozenbaum]] in the [[HBO]] film ”[[And the Band Played On (film)|And the Band Played On]]”, [[Georges Méliès]] in the HBO miniseries ”[[From the Earth to the Moon (miniseries)|From the Earth to the Moon]]”, and French detective Julien Baptiste in the [[BBC]] crime drama ”[[The Missing (British TV series)|The Missing]]”, and its spin-off series ”[[Baptiste (TV series)|Baptiste]]” (2019–21).

Turkish-French actor (1953–2025)

Tchéky Karyo
Born	(1953-10-04)4 October 1953
Died	31 October 2025(2025-10-31) (aged 72)
Occupations
Spouse	Isabelle Pasco (m.1995, divorced)
Partner	Valérie Kéruzoré
Children	2

Tchéky Karyo (French: [tʃeki kɑʁjo]; born Baruh Djaki Karyo;^[1] 4 October 1953 – 31 October 2025)^[2] was a Turkish-born French actor and musician. Beginning his career as an actor on stage in classical and contemporary plays, he later worked as a character actor in films in the 1980s. He has acted in numerous films by Hollywood and French directors, including Luc Besson. He was nominated for a César Award for Most Promising Actor for his performance in the 1982 film La Balance.

His film credits include La Femme Nikita, Vincent and Me, Nostradamus, Crying Freeman, Bad Boys, GoldenEye, The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc, The Patriot and Kiss of the Dragon. His television roles include Dr. Willy Rozenbaum in the HBO film And the Band Played On, Georges Méliès in the HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon, and French detective Julien Baptiste in the BBC crime drama The Missing, and its spin-off series Baptiste (2019–21).

Baruh Djaki Karyo was born in 1953 in Istanbul, Turkey.^[1] His mother was Greek Jewish, and his father, a delivery man and builder,^[3] was from a Turkish Sephardic Jewish family;^[4] both families had Spanish roots.^[3] When he was young, his family moved to Paris, France. The spelling of his name, Djaki, was changed to Tchéky in a form of French transliteration. At age 13, his parents separated, and his mother ordered him to leave her home as well.^[3]

He attended the Parisian secondary school Lycée Arago.^[1] As a young man, Karyo studied drama at the Cyrano Theatre,^[1] and later became a member of the Daniel Sorano Company,^[1] playing many classical roles.^[1]

Karyo joined the National Theatre of Strasbourg,^[1] where he starred in both contemporary and classical plays.^[1] He found success in French films beginning in the 1980s, first as a character actor. He later appeared in leading roles in several notable films, such as The Bear, in which he played one of the hunters, and director Luc Besson‘s La Femme Nikita, in which he played the heroine’s spy mentor.^[1]

He has appeared in many American movies, often portraying a French character.^[1] He played the French prophet Nostradamus in Nostradamus (1994) and a criminal, Fouchet, in Bad Boys (1995) opposite Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.^[1] He played a corrupt and violent Paris police detective in Kiss of the Dragon (2001) opposite Jet Li. He has acted in prominent roles in major films set during wartime. Such performances include his acting as a vengeful French officer alongside Mel Gibson in The Patriot (2000), set during the American Revolutionary War, and his role as Jean de Dunois in The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc. In the DVD edition of The Patriot, Karyo overdubbed his own lines on the French-language track. He appeared in Martin Sheen‘s film The Way (2010) as Captain Henri.^[1]

In 2014 and 2016, Karyo appeared as Julien Baptiste in the acclaimed BBC One/Starz drama series The Missing. He has received critical praise for his performance.^[5] In April 2018, it was confirmed that Karyo would reprise his Baptiste role in a spin-off series, Baptiste, to be written by Jack and Harry Williams.^[6] The first six-episode series began on BBC One on 17 February 2019,^[7] with a second series beginning on 18 July 2021.^[8] In 2018, Karyo appeared as Elisha in Mary Magdalene, written by Helen Edmundson and directed by Garth Davis.^[9]

Karyo was also a musician and songwriter. In 2006 he released the album Ce lien qui nous unit (English: “This link that binds us”),^[10] and released Credo in 2013 on his 60th birthday.^[11]

In 1982, he was nominated for a César Award for Most Promising Actor for his role in La Balance.^[1] In 1986, he was awarded the Prix Jean Gabin in recognition of his acting performances.^[12]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (October 2025)

Tchéky Karyo was married to Isabelle Pasco, but they divorced. In 2002, he married actress Valérie Keruzoré [fr] (23 years his junior)^[3] and had two children,^[13] daughter Louise^[3] and son Liv.^[14] He was fluent in multiple languages: fluent in French, Spanish, English and Arabic.^[13]

He died at age 72 from cancer on 31 October 2025.^[13]