Tchéky Karyo (; 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 Baruh Djaki Karyo was born in 1953 in Istanbul, Turkey. His mother was Greek Jewish, and his father, a delivery man and builder, was from a Turkish Sephardic Jewish family; both families had Spanish roots. 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.
He attended the Parisian secondary school Lycée Arago. As a young man, Karyo studied drama at the Cyrano Theatre, and later became a member of the Daniel Sorano Company, playing many classical roles.
Career Karyo joined the National Theatre of Strasbourg, where he starred in both contemporary and classical plays. 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.
He has appeared in many American movies, often portraying a French character. He played the French prophet Nostradamus in Nostradamus (1994) and a criminal, Fouchet, in Bad Boys (1995) opposite Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. 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.
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. 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. The first six-episode series began on BBC One on 17 February 2019, with a second series beginning on 18 July 2021. In 2018, Karyo appeared as Elisha in Mary Magdalene, written by Helen Edmundson and directed by Garth Davis.
Karyo was also a musician and songwriter. In 2006 he released the album Ce lien qui nous unit (English: "This link that binds us"), and released Credo in 2013 on his 60th birthday.
Awards In 1982, he was nominated for a César Award for Most Promising Actor for his role in La Balance. In 1986, he was awarded the Prix Jean Gabin in recognition of his acting performances.
Personal life and death Karyo was married to Isabelle Pasco, but they divorced. In 2002, he married actress (23 years his junior) with whom he had two children, a daughter and a son. They were still married at the time of his death. Karyo spoke multiple languages and was fluent in French, Spanish, English and Arabic.
Karyo died of cancer in Quimper, on 31 October 2025, at the age of 72.
Selected filmography
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) 2024 The Killer Tessier French / English John Woo 2025 Faster Le Duc French Morgan S. Dalibert
Music videos 1992 "Born On The Wrong Side Of Town" Jaye Muller (J.) (directed by Jean Baptiste Mondino) 2005 "L'avenir est à nous" Kool Shen feat. Rohff & Dadoo (directed by J.G Biggs)
References
External links
Tchéky Karyo at ECI Global Talent Management