Tchéky Karyo
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Tchéky Karyo (French: [tʃeki kɑʁjo]; born Baruh Djaki Karyo; October 4, 1953 – October 31, 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. 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.
Known for
Credits
Bad Boys (1995)
as Fouchet
GoldenEye (1995)
as Dmitri Mishkin
The Core (2003)
as Serge
The Patriot (2000)
as Jean Villeneuve
1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992)
as Martín Alonso Pinzón
Kiss of the Dragon (2001)
as Richard
Crying Freeman (1995)
as Detective Netah
The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999)
as Jean de Dunois
The Killer (2024)
as Tessier
Taking Lives (2004)
as Leclair
Belle and Sebastian: The Adventure Continues (2015)
as César
Nikita (1990)
as Bob
Mary Magdalene (2018)
as Elisha
Special Forces (2011)
as Admiral Guezennec
Among Us (2010)
as Walter
A Very Long Engagement (2004)
as Captain Favour
A Mermaid in Paris (2020)
as Camille
Wing Commander (1999)
as Cmmdre. James 'Paladin' Taggart
The Bear (1988)
as Tom
The Way (2010)
as Captain Henri
Belle and Sebastian 3: The Last Chapter (2018)
as César
Belle and Sebastian (2013)
as César
Dobermann (1997)
as Inspecteur Sauveur Cristini
Isabelle Eberhardt (1991)
as Slimene
Saving Grace (2000)
as Jacques Chevalier
Requiem for a Killer (2011)
as L'Arménien
Rita Ritter (1984)
as Man
Mad Love (1985)
as Micky
Vicky and Her Mystery (2021)
as Bruno
And the Band Played On (1993)
as Dr. Willy Rozenbaum
Jappeloup (2013)
as Marcel Rozier, French team coach
Blueberry (2004)
as Uncle
Fraîche (2022)
as Alex
La fille des collines (1990)
as Vincent
Charon (2020)
as L'homme
Boxes (2007)
as Jean
Fear City: A Family-Style Comedy (1994)
as Mr. Jacques, the 1st projectionist
Addicted to Love (1997)
as Anton
Vincent and Me (1990)
as Vincent van Gogh
A Gang Story (2011)
as Serge Suttel
Full Moon in Paris (1984)
as Remi
La masseria delle allodole (2007)
as Aram
Operation Dumbo Drop (1995)
as Goddard
The Good Thief (2003)
as Roger
Blue Hell (1986)
as Franck
Husbands and Lovers (1991)
as Paolo
The Return of Martin Guerre (1982)
as Augustin
The Outsider (1983)
as Francis Pierron
Les Cerfs-volants (2007)
as Ambroise
Coup d'éclat (2011)
as Mérendon
Through the Air (2015)
as Armand Cavelle
États d'âme (1986)
as Bertrand
The Black Angel (1994)
as Paul Delorme
D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers (2005)
as Le cardinal de Richelieu
The King Is Dancing (2000)
as Molière
The Life Before (2021)
as André
Faster (2025)
as Le Duc
Sketch Artist (1992)
as Paul Korbel
My Life So Far (1999)
as Gabriel Chenoux
The Gravedancers (2006)
as Vincent Cochet
Nostradamus (1994)
as Nostradamus
Moon Shadow (1995)
as Lorenzo
A Man and His Dog (2009)
as Le guitariste
La Balance (1982)
as Petrovic
Serial Driver (2023)
as Jean-Yves Lapick
Will the High Salaried Workers Raise Their Hands! (1982)
Actor
Romantique (2022)
as Pascal
High Art (1991)
as Hermes, the Knife master
Pieces of Me (2013)
as Edern
Let There Be Light! (1998)
as Harper
Morning Star (2012)
as Heroy
Hotel Rome (1996)
as Federale Apolloni
Jacquou the Rebel (2007)
as Le chevalier
Like a Fish Out of Water (1999)
as B. B.
The Lark Farm (2007)
as Aram
De guerre lasse (2014)
as Armand
The Thousand Wonders of the Universe (1997)
as Professor Larsen
Foreign Land (1996)
as Kraft
Red Shoe Diaries 3: Another Woman's Lipstick (1993)
as Phillip (archive footage)
Vampire Party (2008)
as Le duc de Journiac
Old Goriot (2004)
as Vautrin
Toute une nuit (1982)
Actor
Passage to Paradise (1996)
as Renato
L'araignée rouge (2016)
as Simon Delaunay
Follow Your Heart (1996)
as Ernesto
Tell Me Iggy (2022)
as Self
Habitat (1997)
as Hank Symes
To Have and to Hold (1996)
as Jack
Shadow Dance (1983)
as Xavier
Too Close to the Gods (1992)
as Henri Georges
Sorceress (1987)
as Etienne de Bourbon
Christmas Next Door (2021)
as Georges, le mari de Nicoletta
S.A.C. : Des hommes dans l'ombre (2005)
as Louis Routier
Au coeur de Nikita (1990)
as Self
L'Atlantide (1992)
as Lieutenant Morhange
Les brigands (2015)
as Old Man
On Guard (1992)
as Jean Vergier
L'Affaire Bruay-en-Artois (2008)
as Le Juge Marceau
Le Matelot 512 (1984)
as The scarred one / André
Wild Tales From The Village (2016)
as Narrator
The Sword of Thyrus (—)
as Maardin
Zadoc and Happiness (1995)
as Zadoc
Babel (1999)
as Nemrod
L'unique (1986)
as Michel
Utopia (2003)
as Hervé
Le Roman d’un trader (2013)
as le directeur général
Corps perdus (1990)
as Eric Desange
Les liens du cœur (1996)
as Silas Marner
Australia (1989)
as Julian Pierson
Grottenolm (1985)
as Gerome Holm
Spiral (1987)
as Kino
Ne quittez pas ! (2004)
as Raveu
The Resistance: Live Free or Die (2008)
as Narrator (voice)
Steel Butterfly (2025)
as Robert
Daydreams (2017)
as Marc
I Didn't Shoot Jesse James (2017)
as Bob Ford
A Previous Engagement (2009)
as Alex Belmont
Berlin Berlin (—)
Actor
Immortel Nougaro (2024)
as interprete