Tchéky Karyo
- Acting
- October 4, 1953 · Istanbul, Turkey
- October 31, 2025
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.
Known for
Filmography
- La Terre et le Sang · Charles Luciani
- Steel Butterfly · Robert
- Faster · Le Duc
- Immortel Nougaro · interprete
- The Killer · Tessier
- Boat Story · The Tailor
- Serial Driver · Jean-Yves Lapick
- Liaison · Francis Miller
- Forest of the Missing · Franz Agerland
- Romantique · Pascal
- I3P · Paul Arkan
- Fraîche · Alex
- Women at War · Général Duvernet
- Tell Me Iggy · Self
- The Life Before · André
- Vicky and Her Mystery · Bruno
- Christmas Next Door · Georges, le mari de Nicoletta
- Possessions · Joël, Yoel
- The Eddy · Daniel Perrin
- A Mermaid in Paris · Camille
- Charon · L'homme
- ZeroZeroZero · François Salvage
- The Name of the Rose · Pope John XXII
- Baptiste · Julien Baptiste
- War on Beasts · Serge Tokarev
- Mary Magdalene · Elisha
- Belle and Sebastian 3: The Last Chapter · César
- I Didn't Shoot Jesse James · Bob Ford
- Genius · Henri Rousseau
- Daydreams · Marc
- Wild Tales From The Village · Narrator
- Section Zéro · Franck Varnove
- L'araignée rouge · Simon Delaunay
- Belle and Sebastian: The Adventure Continues · César
- Folie passagère · Self
- Through the Air · Armand Cavelle
- Top Gear France · Self
- Les brigands · Old Man
- The Missing · Julien Baptiste
- De guerre lasse · Armand
- Belle and Sebastian · César
- Le Roman d’un trader · le directeur général
- Jappeloup · Marcel Rozier, French team coach
- Pieces of Me · Edern
- Morning Star · Heroy
- No Limit · Franck Koskas
- The Unexpected Getaway · Self
- The Extraordinary Voyage · Thanks
- A Gang Story · Serge Suttel
- Special Forces · Admiral Guezennec
- Coup d'éclat · Mérendon
- Requiem for a Killer · L'Arménien
- The Way · Captain Henri
- Among Us · Walter
- A Previous Engagement · Alex Belmont
- A Man and His Dog · Le guitariste
- L'Affaire Bruay-en-Artois · Le Juge Marceau
- Vampire Party · Le duc de Journiac
- The Resistance: Live Free or Die · Narrator (Voice)
- Les Cerfs-volants · Ambroise
- Boxes · Jean
- The Lark Farm · Aram
- La masseria delle allodole · Aram
- Jacquou the Rebel · Le chevalier
- The Gravedancers · Vincent Cochet
- S.A.C. : Des hommes dans l'ombre · Louis Routier
- The Accursed Kings · Philippe le Bel
- D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers · Le cardinal de Richelieu
- D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers · Le cardinal de Richelieu
- Kaamelott · Manius Macrinus Firmus
- Old Goriot · Vautrin
- A Very Long Engagement · Captain Favour
- Ne quittez pas ! · Raveu
- Taking Lives · Leclair
- Blueberry · Uncle
- The Core · Serge
- Utopia · Hervé
- The Good Thief · Roger
- Kiss of the Dragon · Richard
- The King Is Dancing · Molière