Tchéky Karyo, known for his performances in The Patriot, The Messenger and more recently the TV series The Missing. Yet 72 years old. Originally born in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1953, Karyo achieved international stardom due to his roles in French and English-language movies and television. He spoke multiple languages, including French, English, and Spanish, which allowed him to work steadily in cinema across various countries.
Karyo’s career took off in the 1980s with his notable performance in the 1990 film “Nikita,” where he portrayed a hard-nosed secret agent alongside Anne Parillaud’s character, a female assassin. The performance earned Karyo rave reviews, endearing the French actor to audiences and critics, and establishing him as one of the most compelling leading men in cinema. Though best-known for this legendary role, his talents went much further, finding roles in many major films over-stuffing his career.
Among his notable works was Ridley Scott’s historical epic “1492: Conquest of Paradise,” where he showcased his ability to adapt to different genres. As you can see, Karyo had huge parts in a diverse range of movies. In Jean-Jacques Annaud’s wilderness epic The Bear, he starred as a hunter, and in the James Bond film GoldenEye he played the Russian defense minister. Plus, he has played drug kingpin Fouchet in action heavy “Bad Boys.”
Karyo’s contributions to television were equally impressive. He played French detective Julien Baptiste in two series of the BBC crime show “The Missing,” which garnered critical acclaim. With kids and adults alike, his character was the crowning success of the movie. This sensation led to the production of a spinoff series, “Baptiste,” ensuring his resurrection in the crime drama genre.
Karyo proved the full range of his talents as an actor in Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s fantastical romantic comedy “Amélie.” He further showed his versatility in Walter Salles’s classic action-packed movie Foreign Land. During his long and illustrious career, he helped grow the sport, earning the respect and admiration from everyone that came across him.