Tcheky Karyo, the Turkish-born French actor who starred in more than a hundred films and series over four decades, has died aged 72.
His wife, French actress Valérie Kéruzoré, and children said via news agency AFP on Friday (October 31) that the actor had “succumbed to cancer.”
Born in Istanbul in 1953, Karyo has been a familiar face in French cinema since the 1980s with roles in films including Jean-Jacques Annaud’s The Bear, Luc Besson’s La Femme Nikita and Joan Of Arc, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Amelie.
He spoke several languages including French, English and Spanish which allowed him to take on roles in international productions such as Ridley Scott’s historical epic 1492: Conquest Of Paradise, Brazilian director Walter Salles’ Foreign Land and Michael Bay’s Bad Boys.
He was nominated for a Cesar award for most promising actor for his role in 1982 film La Balance, co-starring Nathalie Baye and Philippe Leotard.
After starring in 2014 BBC series The Missing, he took on the titular role of French detective Julien Baptiste in its 2019 follow-up Baptiste on BBC One.
He continued to act in features, series, TV films and as a theatre actor including what is now his final role on the big screen in Morgan S. Dalibert’s action film Rapide, which came out in April in France.
His death sparked tributes from the French industry. Former Cannes Film Festival president Gilles Jacob told AFP: “Tchéky Karyo leaves behind the memory of an actor you could count on behind his quiet smile” and cited his “gentle voice beneath his rugged, unshaven appearance.”
Jan Kounen, who directed Karyo in 1997 action film Dobermann alongside Vincent Cassel and Monica Belluci, wrote on Instagram: “A shock. Tcheky my friend, you are wonderful.”
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