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 (146)
La Terre et le Sang
2026
Faster
2025
Steel Butterfly
2025
The Killer
2024
Immortel Nougaro
2024
Serial Driver
2023
Liaison
2023
Boat Story
2023
Romantique
2022
Tell Me Iggy
2022
Fraîche
2022
I3P
2022
Forest of the Missing
2022
Women at War
2022
Christmas Next Door
2021
The Life Before
2021
Vicky and Her Mystery
2021
Charon
2020
A Mermaid in Paris
2020
ZeroZeroZero
2020
The Eddy
2020
Possessions
2020
The Name of the Rose
2019
Baptiste
2019
Belle and Sebastian 3: The Last Chapter
2018
Mary Magdalene
2018
War on Beasts
2018
Daydreams
2017
I Didn't Shoot Jesse James
2017
Genius
2017
L'araignée rouge
2016
Wild Tales From The Village
2016
Section Zéro
2016
Les brigands
2015
Belle and Sebastian: The Adventure Continues
2015
Through the Air
2015
Folie passagère
2015
Top Gear France
2015
De guerre lasse
2014
The Missing
2014
Pieces of Me
2013
Jappeloup
2013
Belle and Sebastian
2013
Le Roman d’un trader
2013
Morning Star
2012
No Limit
2012
The Unexpected Getaway
2012
Requiem for a Killer
2011
Coup d'éclat
2011
Special Forces
2011
A Gang Story
2011
Among Us
2010
The Way
2010
A Previous Engagement
2009
A Man and His Dog
2009
Vampire Party
2008
L'Affaire Bruay-en-Artois
2008
The Resistance: Live Free or Die
2008
The Lark Farm
2007
Jacquou the Rebel
2007
Boxes
2007
Les Cerfs-volants
2007
La masseria delle allodole
2007
The Gravedancers
2006
D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers
2005
S.A.C. : Des hommes dans l'ombre
2005
The Accursed Kings
2005
D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers
2005
Kaamelott
2005
Blueberry
2004
Ne quittez pas !
2004
Taking Lives
2004
Old Goriot
2004
A Very Long Engagement
2004
The Good Thief
2003
The Core
2003
Utopia
2003
Kiss of the Dragon
2001
Saving Grace
2000
The Patriot
2000
The King Is Dancing
2000
Arabian Nights
2000
The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc
1999
Wing Commander
1999
My Life So Far
1999
Like a Fish Out of Water
1999
Babel
1999
Let There Be Light!
1998
From the Earth to the Moon
1998
Addicted to Love
1997
Dobermann
1997
The Thousand Wonders of the Universe
1997
Habitat
1997
To Have and to Hold
1996
Les liens du cœur
1996
Hotel Rome
1996
Follow Your Heart
1996
Foreign Land
1996
Passage to Paradise
1996
GoldenEye
1995
Bad Boys
1995
Operation Dumbo Drop
1995
Moon Shadow
1995
Zadoc and Happiness
1995
Crying Freeman
1995
Fear City: A Family-Style Comedy
1994
Nostradamus
1994
The Black Angel
1994
And the Band Played On
1993
Red Shoe Diaries 3: Another Woman's Lipstick
1993
1492: Conquest of Paradise
1992
On Guard
1992
L'Atlantide
1992
Too Close to the Gods
1992
Sketch Artist
1992
Red Shoe Diaries
1992
Isabelle Eberhardt
1991
High Art
1991
Husbands and Lovers
1991
Nikita
1990
Vincent and Me
1990
La fille des collines
1990
Corps perdus
1990
Au coeur de Nikita
1990
Les Nuls, l'émission
1990
Australia
1989
The Bear
1988
Sorceress
1987
Spiral
1987
États d'âme
1986
L'unique
1986
Blue Hell
1986
Mad Love
1985
Grottenolm
1985
Full Moon in Paris
1984
Rita Ritter
1984
Le Matelot 512
1984
The Outsider
1983
Shadow Dance
1983
Will the High Salaried Workers Raise Their Hands!
1982
La Balance
1982
The Return of Martin Guerre
1982
Toute une nuit
1982
Champs-Elysées
1982
The Sword of Thyrus
Berlin Berlin
English
Español
Russian
