Tchéky Karyo
Born: 1953-10-04 in Istanbul, Turkey
Died: 2025-10-31
Known For: Acting
Biography
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.
Filmography
2025
- Faster as Le Duc
- Steel Butterfly as Robert
2024
- The Killer as Tessier
- Immortel Nougaro as interprete
2023
- Liaison as Francis Miller
- Boat Story as The Tailor
- Serial Driver as Jean-Yves Lapick
2022
- Women at War as Général Duvernet
- Forest of the Missing as Franz Agerland
- I3P as Paul Arkan
- Fraîche as Alex
- Romantique as Pascal
- Tell Me Iggy as Self
2021
- Vicky and Her Mystery as Bruno
- Christmas Next Door as Georges, le mari de Nicoletta
- The Life Before as André
2020
- ZeroZeroZero as François Salvage
- The Eddy as Daniel Perrin
- Possessions as Joël
- A Mermaid in Paris as Camille
- Charon as L'homme
2019
- The Name of the Rose as Pope John XXII
- Baptiste as Julien Baptiste
2018
- Mary Magdalene as Elisha
- Belle and Sebastian 3: The Last Chapter as César
- War on Beasts as Serge Tokarev
2017
- Genius as Henri Rousseau
- I Didn't Shoot Jesse James as Bob Ford
- Daydreams as Marc
2016
- Section Zéro as Franck Varnove
- Wild Tales From The Village as Narrator
- L'araignée rouge as Simon Delaunay
2015
- Top Gear France as Self - Guest
- Folie passagère as Self
- Belle and Sebastian: The Adventure Continues as César
- Through the Air as Armand Cavelle
- Les brigands as Old Man
2014
- The Missing as Julien Baptiste
- De guerre lasse as Armand
2013
- Belle and Sebastian as César
- Jappeloup as Marcel Rozier, French team coach
- Pieces of Me as Edern
- Le Roman d’un trader as le directeur général
2012
- The Unexpected Getaway as Self
- No Limit as Franck Koskas
- Morning Star as Heroy
2011
- Special Forces as Admiral Guezennec
- A Gang Story as Serge Suttel
- Requiem for a Killer as L'Arménien
- The Extraordinary Voyage ... (Thanks)
- Coup d'éclat as Mérendon
2009
- A Man and His Dog as Le guitariste
- A Previous Engagement as Alex Belmont
2008
- Vampire Party as Le duc de Journiac
- The Resistance: Live Free or Die as Narrator (voice)
- L'Affaire Bruay-en-Artois as Le Juge Marceau
2007
- The Lark Farm as Aram
- La masseria delle allodole as Aram
- Boxes as Jean
- Jacquou the Rebel as Le chevalier
- Les Cerfs-volants as Ambroise
2006
- The Gravedancers as Vincent Cochet
2005
- Kaamelott as Manius Macrinus Firmus
- The Accursed Kings as Philippe le Bel
- D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers as Le cardinal de Richelieu
- D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers as Le cardinal de Richelieu
- S.A.C. : Des hommes dans l'ombre as Louis Routier
2004
- Taking Lives as Leclair
- A Very Long Engagement as Captain Favour
- Blueberry as Uncle
- Old Goriot as Vautrin
- Ne quittez pas ! as Raveu
2003
- The Core as Serge
- The Good Thief as Roger
- Utopia as Hervé
2001
- Kiss of the Dragon as Richard
2000
- The Patriot as Jean Villeneuve
- Arabian Nights as Black Coda
- Saving Grace as Jacques Chevalier
- The King Is Dancing as Molière
1999
- The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc as Jean de Dunois
- Wing Commander as Cmmdre. James 'Paladin' Taggart
- My Life So Far as Gabriel Chenoux
- Like a Fish Out of Water as B. B.
- Babel as Nemrod
1998
- From the Earth to the Moon as George Melies
- Let There Be Light! as Harper
1997
- Addicted to Love as Anton
- Dobermann as Inspecteur Sauveur Cristini
- The Thousand Wonders of the Universe as Professor Larsen
- Habitat as Hank Symes
1996
- Foreign Land as Kraft
- Passage to Paradise as Renato
- Follow Your Heart as Ernesto
- To Have and to Hold as Jack
- Hotel Rome as Federale Apolloni
- Les liens du cœur as Silas Marner
1995
- Bad Boys as Fouchet
- GoldenEye as Dmitri Mishkin
- Crying Freeman as Detective Netah
- Operation Dumbo Drop as Goddard
- Zadoc and Happiness as Zadoc
- Moon Shadow as Lorenzo
1994
- Fear City: A Family-Style Comedy as Mr. Jacques, the 1st projectionist
- The Black Angel as Paul Delorme
- Nostradamus as Nostradamus
1993
- And the Band Played On as Dr. Willy Rozenbaum
- Red Shoe Diaries 3: Another Woman's Lipstick as Phillip (archive footage)
1992
- Red Shoe Diaries as Phillip
- 1492: Conquest of Paradise as Martín Alonso Pinzón
- Sketch Artist as Paul Korbel
- Too Close to the Gods as Henri Georges
- L'Atlantide as Lieutenant Morhange
- On Guard as Jean Vergier
1991
- Husbands and Lovers as Paolo
- Isabelle Eberhardt as Slimene
- High Art as Hermes, the Knife master
1990
- Les Nuls, l'émission as Self - Guest
- Nikita as Bob
- Vincent and Me as Vincent van Gogh
- La fille des collines as Vincent
- Au coeur de Nikita as Self
- Corps perdus as Eric Desange
1989
- Australia as Julian Pierson
1988
- The Bear as Tom
1986
- Blue Hell as Franck
- États d'âme as Bertrand
- L'unique as Michel
1985
- Mad Love as Micky
- Grottenolm as Gerome Holm
1984
- Full Moon in Paris as Remi
- Rita Ritter as Man
- Le Matelot 512 as The scarred one / André
1983
- The Outsider as Francis Pierron
- Shadow Dance as Xavier
1982
- Champs-Elysées as Self
- The Return of Martin Guerre as Augustin
- Will the High Salaried Workers Raise Their Hands!
- Toute une nuit
- La Balance as Petrovic