Tchéky

BELOVED actor Tchéky Karyo has died of cancer at the age of 72.

Karyo was best known for his starring role in the film Nikita, James Bond hit GoldenEye and in the popular BBC series The Missing.

His passing was announced by his wife, actress Valérie Keruzoré, and their two children.

They released a heartbreaking statement saying the French film star had “succumbed to cancer this Friday, October 31”.

Kayro was best known in Britain for his role as TV detective Julien Baptiste in The Missing.

He played Baptise in the eight-part BBC series in 2014 before reprising his role in another eight episodes in 2016.

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Then the BBC launched a spin-off called Baptiste in 2019 centred around Karyo’s character.

At the time, the beloved actor said about the reprisal of the role: “I didn’t expect it, but it’s flattering. This has made me feel young again.”

The creators of Baptise had even teased another season of the mystery thriller earlier this summer.

Earlier on his career Karyo found global success on several top projects.

He played the handler Bob in Luc Besson’s assassin film Nikita in 1990.

Other major roles included Ridley Scott’s historical epic 1492: Conquest of Paradise and the James Bond film GoldenEye.

Born in Istanbul, Turkey, Kayro started out in French cinema in the 1980s.

His first major film role came in crime thriller La Balance in 1982.

His stellar performance even earned him a nomination for the César Award for Best Male Revelation.

One of his most recent roles came in 2023 when he joined forces with the BBC once again for the comedy thriller, Boat Story.

Kayro had 140 roles across his decorated career in both film and TV.

He was also a singer songwriter with two albums being released in 2006 and 2013.

French actor Tchéky Karyo, who had a starring role in the film Nikita and the TV series The Missing, has died aged 72.

Karyo, who was born in Turkey but grew up in Paris, died of a cancer on Friday, AFP news agency reported.

Known largely for supporting roles, Karyo acted in films for nearly four decades, finding a second career in TV series in his final years.

Karyo’s wife, actress Valérie Keruzoré, and their children announced his death in a statement to the news agency.

Karyo first made his mark in crime thriller La Balance (1982) and he played the handler Bob in Luc Besson’s assassin film Nikita (1990).

BBC audiences might best remember him for his role in The Missing (2014).

The first eight-part series, about the search for a missing boy in France, starred Karyo as French detective Julien Baptiste. James Nesbitt and Frances O’Connor played the boy’s parents.

The second eight-part series, about a missing girl in Germany, was brodcast in 2016. Karyo returned as Baptiste, with David Morrissey and Keeley Hawes as the girl’s parents.

Both series received positive reviews, with critics praising the cast, especially Karyo’s performance.

In February 2019, a spin-off series titled Baptiste was broadcast on BBC One.

Karyo was born on 4 October 1953 in Istanbul, the son of a Turkish lorry driver of Spanish-Jewish origin and a Greek mother, Le Monde newspaper writes.

After several years as a theatrical actor, he saw his role in La Balance earn him a nomination for the César Award for Best Male Revelation.

With his strong jaw and penetrating stare, he went on to star in dozens of films of all kinds.

Other French films included Besson’s Joan of Arc (1993) and the anti-war epic A Very Long Engagement (2004). He was also cast in Ridley Scott’s 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992) and in the James Bond film GoldenEye (1995).

One of his starring roles was as the medieval prophet Nostradamus in the 1994 film of the same name, while his tiniest role was undoubtedly in Amélie (2001) where he only appeared as a face on an ID photograph in an album.