Jump to content

Tchéky Karyo

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tchéky Karyo
Karyo at the 17th César Awards, 1992
Born
Baruh Djaki Karyo

(1953-10-04)4 October 1953
Istanbul, Turkey
Died31 October 2025(2025-10-31) (aged 72)
Quimper, France
Occupations
  • Actor
  • musician
Years active1982–2025
Spouses
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1995, divorced)​
  • Valérie Keruzoré
    ​
    (m. 2002)​
Children2

Tchéky Karyo (French: [tʃeki kɑʁjo]; born Baruh Djaki Karyo; 4 October 1953 – 31 October 2025) 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 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).

Early life, family and education

[edit]

Baruh Djaki Karyo was born in 1953 in Istanbul, Turkey.[1] His mother was Greek Jewish, and his father, a delivery man and builder,[2] was from a Turkish Sephardic Jewish family;[3] both families had Spanish roots.[2] 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.[2]

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]

Career

[edit]

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]

Karyo in 2013

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.[4] 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.[5] The first six-episode series began on BBC One on 17 February 2019,[6] with a second series beginning on 18 July 2021.[7] In 2018, Karyo appeared as Elisha in Mary Magdalene, written by Helen Edmundson and directed by Garth Davis.[8]

Karyo was also a musician and songwriter. In 2006 he released the album Ce lien qui nous unit (English: "This link that binds us"),[9] and released Credo in 2013 on his 60th birthday.[10]

Personal life and death

[edit]

Karyo was married to Isabelle Pasco, but they divorced. In 2002, he married actress Valérie Keruzoré [fr] (23 years his junior)[2] with whom he had two children,[11][12] daughter Louise[2] and son Liv.[13] They were still married at the time of his death.[14] Karyo spoke multiple languages and was fluent in French, Spanish, English and Arabic.[12]

Karyo died of cancer at Quimper, on 31 October 2025, at the age of 72.[15][16]

Awards

[edit]

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.[17]

Selected filmography

[edit]
Year Title Role Language Director
1982 The Return of Martin Guerre Augustin French Daniel Vigne
Toute une nuit unnamed man French Chantal Akerman
La Balance Petrovic French Bob Swaim
1983 Le Marginal Francis Pierron French Jacques Deray
1984 Full Moon in Paris Remi French Éric Rohmer
1985 L'Amour braque Micky French Andrzej Zulawski
1986 Bleu comme l'enfer Frank French Yves Boisset
1987 Sorceress Étienne de Bourbon French Suzanne Schiffman
1988 The Bear Tom French Jean-Jacques Annaud
1989 Australia Julien Pierson French Jean-Jacques Andrien
1990 La Femme Nikita Bob French Luc Besson
Vincent and Me Vincent van Gogh French Michael Rubbo
1991 A Grande Arte Hermes English / Portuguese / Spanish Walter Salles
Isabelle Eberhardt Slimene English Ian Pringle
Husband and Lovers Paolo English Mauro Bolognini
1992 Red Shoe Diaries (TV series) Phillip English Ted Kotcheff
1492: Conquest of Paradise Martín Alonso Pinzón English Ridley Scott
L'Atlantide Lieutenant Morhange French Bob Swaim
Sketch Artist Paul Korbel English Phedon Papamichael
1993 And the Band Played On Willy Rozenbaum English Roger Spottiswoode
1994 La Cité de la peur Monsieur Jacques, The First Projectionist French Alain Berbérian
Nostradamus Nostradamus English Roger Christian
1995 Colpo di luna Lorenzo Italian Alberto Simone
Crying Freeman Detective Netah English Christophe Gans
Bad Boys Antoine Fouchet English Michael Bay
GoldenEye Russian Minister of Defence Dmitri Mishkin English Martin Campbell
Foreign Land Kraft Portuguese Walter Salles and Daniela Thomas
Operation Dumbo Drop Goddard English Simon Wincer
1996 To Have & to Hold Jack English John Hillcoat
1997 Dobermann Inspecteur Sauveur Cristini French Jan Kounen
Habitat Hank Symes English René Daalder
Addicted to Love Anton English Griffin Dunne
1998 From the Earth to the Moon (TV miniseries) Georges Méliès English (various)
Let There Be Light Harper French Arthur Joffé
1999 My Life So Far Gabriel Chenoux English Hugh Hudson
Babel Nemrod French Gérard Pullicino
The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc Jean de Dunois English Luc Besson
Wing Commander Commodore James "Paladin" Taggart English Chris Roberts
2000 Arabian Nights (TV miniseries) Black Coda English Steve Barron
Le Roi danse Molière French Gérard Corbiau
Saving Grace Jacques Chevalier English Nigel Cole
The Patriot Major Jean Villeneuve English Roland Emmerich
2001 Kiss of the Dragon Inspector Jean-Pierre Richard English Chris Nahon
2002 The Good Thief Roger English Neil Jordan
2003 Utopia Hervé French / Spanish María Ripoli
The Core Serge English Jon Amiel
2004 A Very Long Engagement Captain Etienne Favourier French Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Taking Lives Chief Inspector Hugo LeClair English D. J. Caruso
Blueberry The Uncle English Jan Kounen
2005 Les Rois maudits (TV miniseries) Philip IV of France French Josée Dayan
2006 The Gravedancers Vincent Cochet English Mike Mendez
2007 Jacquou le Croquant The Chevalier French Laurent Boutonnat
Boxes Jean French Jane Birkin
The Lark Farm Aram English Paolo and Vittorio Taviani
2009 A Man and His Dog The Guitar Player In The Park French Francis Huster
Kaamelott (TV series) Manius Macrinus Firmus (Book VI) French Alexandre Astier
2010 The Way Captain Henri English Emilio Estevez
2011 A Gang Story Serge Suttel French Olivier Marchal
Forces spéciales Guezennec French Stéphane Rybojad
2012 No Limit (TV series) Koskas French (various)
Pieces of Me Edern French Nolwenn Lemesle
2013 Jappeloup Marcel Rozier French Christian Duguay
Belle and Sebastian César French Nicolas Vanier
2014 The Missing, Series 1 (TV series) Julien Baptiste English Tom Shankland
2015 Through the Air Armand Cavelle French Fred Grivois
Belle & Sebastian: The Adventure Continues César French Christian Duguay
2016 The Missing, Series 2 (TV series) Julien Baptiste English Ben Chanan
2018 Mary Magdalene Elisha English Garth Davis
Belle and Sebastien: Friends for Life César French Clovis Cornillac
2019 Baptiste – Series 1 (TV series) Julien Baptiste English Börkur Sigþórsson
The Name of the Rose (TV miniseries) Pope John XXII English Giacomo Battiato
2020 ZeroZeroZero (TV miniseries) François Salvage English (various)
2021 Baptiste – Series 2 (TV series) Julien Baptiste English Thomas Napper
2022 Les Disparus de la Forêt-Noire (TV miniseries) Franz Agerland French Ivan Fegyveres
2022 Women at War (TV miniseries) Général Duvernet French Alexandre Laurent
2023 Liaison (TV series) Francis Miller French / English Stephen Hopkins
Boat Story (TV miniseries) The Tailor English (various)
2025 Faster Le Duc French Morgan S. Dalibert

Music videos

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Tcheky Karyo Biography". premiere.fr. 4 October 1953. Retrieved 19 October 2022. Archived 29 July 2025 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ a b c d e Sage, Adam (14 November 2014). "Tchéky Karyo: My painful childhood informed my role in The Missing". The Times. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  3. ^ "Tcheky Karyo: I was brought up with respect for my Muslim roots". actuj.com. Archived from the original on 3 September 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
  4. ^ Hogan, Michael (30 November 2016). "What on earth happened to Alice Webster? 11 big questions The Missing finale needs to answer". The Daily Telegraph.
  5. ^ James, Sarah (1 April 2018). "The Missing to get new spin-off Baptiste starring Tcheky Karyo". Digital Spy. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  6. ^ Harrison, Ellie (17 February 2019). "When does Baptiste start on BBC1? What's The Missing spin-off about and who's in the cast?". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 17 February 2019. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  7. ^ "BBC One – Baptiste". bbc.co.uk. BBC. 18 July 2021.
  8. ^ Solomons, Jason (10 April 2019). "'Mary Magdalene' Film Review: Rooney Mara Plays Jesus' Gal Pal in Snoozy Epic". TheWrap. Retrieved 31 October 2025 – via yahoo.com.
  9. ^ "Ce Lien Qui Nous Unit – Tcheky Karyo – Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  10. ^ "'Crédo', le deuxième album de Tchéky Karyo chanteur". Culturebox (in French). 30 December 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2019 – via francetvinfo.fr.
  11. ^ Jackson, Patrick (31 October 2025). "Tchéky Karyo, star of Nikita and The Missing, dies at 72". BBC News. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  12. ^ a b "L'acteur français Tchéky Karyo s'éteint à 72 ans". Le Journal de Montréal (in French). Agence France-Presse. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  13. ^ David Niviere (2021). Tcheky Karyo with his partner Valerie Keruzore and their children Louise and Liv. Monte Carlo: Abaca Press. Retrieved 31 October 2025 – via alamy.com. Tcheky Karyo with his partner Valerie Keruzore and their children Louise and Liv attend the closing ceremony of the 60th Monte-Carlo Television Festival on June 22, 2021 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco.
  14. ^ Jackson, Patrick (31 October 2025). "Tchéky Karyo, star of Nikita and The Missing, dies at 72". BBC News. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  15. ^ "Tchéky Karyo est mort". Paris Match (in French). 31 October 2025. Retrieved 1 November 2025. Archived 1 November 2025 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ "L'acteur Tchéky Karyo est mort à l'âge de 72 ans". Figaro.(in French) Archived 1 November 2025 at the Wayback Machine
  17. ^ "Karyo, Tchéky". International Motion Picture Almanac. Quigley Publishing Company. 2007. p. 260. ISBN 978-0-900610-80-6.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tchéky Karyo.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tchéky_Karyo&oldid=1334610983"