Tchéky Karyo
Known for: Acting
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
Series
Champs-Elysées
Self
1982
Series
Kaamelott
Manius Macrinus Firmus
2005
Series
Genius
Henri Rousseau
2017
Series
Red Shoe Diaries
Phillip
1992
Film
The Patriot
Jean Villeneuve
2000
Series
From the Earth to the Moon
George Melies
1998
Series
Les Nuls, l'émission
Self - Guest
1990
Film
Bad Boys
Fouchet
1995
Film
GoldenEye
Dmitri Mishkin
1995
Series
The Name of the Rose
Pope John XXII
2019
Film
The Core
Serge
2003
Series
The Unexpected Getaway
Self
2012
Series
Liaison
Francis Miller
2023
Film
The Killer
Tessier
2024
Series
Top Gear France
Self - Guest
2015
Film
The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc
Jean de Dunois
1999
Film
Kiss of the Dragon
Richard
2001
Series
ZeroZeroZero
François Salvage
2020
Series
The Missing
Julien Baptiste
2014
Film
Taking Lives
Leclair
2004
Film
Mary Magdalene
Elisha
2018
Film
1492: Conquest of Paradise
Martín Alonso Pinzón
1992
Film
Nikita
Bob
1990
Series
Arabian Nights
Black Coda
2000
Film
Special Forces
Admiral Guezennec
2011
Series
No Limit
Franck Koskas
2012
Series
Women at War
Général Duvernet
2022
Series
Baptiste
Julien Baptiste
2019
Series
The Eddy
Daniel Perrin
2020
Film
Crying Freeman
Detective Netah
1995
Film
Dobermann
Inspecteur Sauveur Cristini
1997
Series
Boat Story
The Tailor
2023
Film
Wing Commander
Cmmdre. James 'Paladin' Taggart
1999
Film
The Way
Captain Henri
2010
Film
A Mermaid in Paris
Camille
2020
Film
A Very Long Engagement
Captain Favour
2004
Film
The Bear
Tom
1988
Film
Addicted to Love
Anton
1997
Film
Belle and Sebastian
César
2013
Film
And the Band Played On
Dr. Willy Rozenbaum
1993
Series
The Accursed Kings
Philippe le Bel
2005
Series
La Terre et le Sang
2026
Film
A Gang Story
Serge Suttel
2011
Film
Mad Love
Micky
1985
Series
Folie passagère
Self
2015
Film
Belle and Sebastian: The Adventure Continues
César
2015
Series
Section Zéro
Franck Varnove
2016
Film
Fear City: A Family-Style Comedy
Mr. Jacques, the 1st projectionist
1994
Series
Possessions
Joël
2020
Series
Possessions
Yoel
2020
Film
Vicky and Her Mystery
Bruno
2021
Film
Belle and Sebastian 3: The Last Chapter
César
2018
Film
The Good Thief
Roger
2003
Film
Husbands and Lovers
Paolo
1991
Series
Forest of the Missing
Franz Agerland
2022
Film
Saving Grace
Jacques Chevalier
2000
Film
Blueberry
Uncle
2004
Film
Operation Dumbo Drop
Goddard
1995
Film
The Outsider
Francis Pierron
1983
Film
The Return of Martin Guerre
Augustin
1982
Film
Vincent and Me
Vincent van Gogh
1990
Series
D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers
Le cardinal de Richelieu
2005
Film
My Life So Far
Gabriel Chenoux
1999
Film
The Gravedancers
Vincent Cochet
2006
Film
Full Moon in Paris
Remi
1984
Film
Jacquou the Rebel
Le chevalier
2007
Film
Isabelle Eberhardt
Slimene
1991
Film
A Man and His Dog
Le guitariste
2009
Film
Sketch Artist
Paul Korbel
1992
Series
War on Beasts
Serge Tokarev
2018
Series
I3P
Paul Arkan
2022
Film
The Black Angel
Paul Delorme
1994
Film
Requiem for a Killer
L'Arménien
2011
Film
Romantique
Pascal
2022
Film
Jappeloup
Marcel Rozier, French team coach
2013
Film
Through the Air
Armand Cavelle
2015
Film
D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers
Le cardinal de Richelieu
2005
Film
The King Is Dancing
Molière
2000
Film
Serial Driver
Jean-Yves Lapick
2023
Film
Blue Hell
Franck
1986
Film
The Lark Farm
Aram
2007
Film
Faster
Le Duc
2025
Film
Nostradamus
Nostradamus
1994
Film
Vampire Party
Le duc de Journiac
2008
Film
Like a Fish Out of Water
B. B.
1999
Film
High Art
Hermes, the Knife master
1991
Film
Let There Be Light!
Harper
1998
Film
Tell Me Iggy
Self
2022
Film
La fille des collines
Vincent
1990
Charon
L'homme
2020
Film
Foreign Land
Kraft
1996
Film
L'Atlantide
Lieutenant Morhange
1992
Film
L'araignée rouge
Simon Delaunay
2016
Film
Au coeur de Nikita
Self
1990
Film
Shadow Dance
Xavier
1983
Film
Hotel Rome
Federale Apolloni
1996
Film
L'Affaire Bruay-en-Artois
Le Juge Marceau
2008
Film
Will the High Salaried Workers Raise Their Hands!
1982
Film
Old Goriot
Vautrin
2004
Film
Morning Star
Heroy
2012
Film
Red Shoe Diaries 3: Another Woman's Lipstick
Phillip (archive footage)
1993
Film
Habitat
Hank Symes
1997
Film
Pieces of Me
Edern
2013
Film
The Thousand Wonders of the Universe
Professor Larsen
1997
Film
Sorceress
Etienne de Bourbon
1987
Film
Zadoc and Happiness
Zadoc
1995
Film
La masseria delle allodole
Aram
2007
Film
The Sword of Thyrus
Maardin
Film
Passage to Paradise
Renato
1996
Film
Follow Your Heart
Ernesto
1996
Film
To Have and to Hold
Jack
1996
Film
Christmas Next Door
Georges, le mari de Nicoletta
2021
Film
L'unique
Michel
1986
Film
La Balance
Petrovic
1982
Film
Moon Shadow
Lorenzo
1995
Film
Wild Tales From The Village
Narrator
2016
Film
Rita Ritter
Man
1984
Film
Les Cerfs-volants
Ambroise
2007
Film
Boxes
Jean
2007
Film
Toute une nuit
1982
Film
De guerre lasse
Armand
2014
Film
The Life Before
André
2021
Film
Too Close to the Gods
Henri Georges
1992
Film
Fraîche
Alex
2022
Film
Among Us
Walter
2010
Film
Coup d'éclat
Mérendon
2011
Film
Le Roman d’un trader
le directeur général
2013
The Resistance: Live Free or Die
Narrator (voice)
2008
Film
S.A.C. : Des hommes dans l'ombre
Louis Routier
2005
Les liens du cœur
Silas Marner
1996
Film
Utopia
Hervé
2003
Film
Steel Butterfly
Robert
2025
Film
Les brigands
Old Man
2015
Film
Ne quittez pas !
Raveu
2004
Film
Le Matelot 512
The scarred one / André
1984
Film
Australia
Julian Pierson
1989
Film
États d'âme
Bertrand
1986
Film
Babel
Nemrod
1999
Film
Daydreams
Marc
2017
Film
Spiral
Kino
1987
Film
On Guard
Jean Vergier
1992
Film
Corps perdus
Eric Desange
1990
Film
A Previous Engagement
Alex Belmont
2009
Film
I Didn't Shoot Jesse James
Bob Ford
2017
Film
Grottenolm
Gerome Holm
1985
Berlin Berlin
Film
Immortel Nougaro
interprete
2024