Tchéky Karyo
Acting
1953-10-04 · Istanbul, Turkey
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
La Terre et le Sang
2026 · Series
Steel Butterfly
2025 · Movie
Faster
2025 · Movie
Immortel Nougaro
2024 · Movie
The Killer
2024 · Movie
Boat Story
2023 · Series
Serial Driver
2023 · Movie
Liaison
2023 · Series
Forest of the Missing
2022 · Series
Romantique
2022 · Movie
I3P
2022 · Series
Fraîche
2022 · Movie
Women at War
2022 · Series
Tell Me Iggy
2022 · Movie
The Life Before
2021 · Movie
Vicky and Her Mystery
2021 · Movie
Christmas Next Door
2021 · Movie
Possessions
2020 · Series
The Eddy
2020 · Series
A Mermaid in Paris
2020 · Movie
Charon
2020 · Movie
ZeroZeroZero
2020 · Series
The Name of the Rose
2019 · Series
Baptiste
2019 · Series
War on Beasts
2018 · Series
Mary Magdalene
2018 · Movie
Belle and Sebastian 3: The Last Chapter
2018 · Movie
I Didn't Shoot Jesse James
2017 · Movie
Genius
2017 · Series
Daydreams
2017 · Movie
Wild Tales From The Village
2016 · Movie
Section Zéro
2016 · Series
L'araignée rouge
2016 · Movie
Belle and Sebastian: The Adventure Continues
2015 · Movie
Folie passagère
2015 · Series
Through the Air
2015 · Movie
Top Gear France
2015 · Series
Les brigands
2015 · Movie
The Missing
2014 · Series
De guerre lasse
2014 · Movie
Belle and Sebastian
2013 · Movie
Le Roman d’un trader
2013 · Movie
Jappeloup
2013 · Movie
Pieces of Me
2013 · Movie
Morning Star
2012 · Movie
No Limit
2012 · Series
The Unexpected Getaway
2012 · Series
The Extraordinary Voyage
2011 · Movie
A Gang Story
2011 · Movie
Special Forces
2011 · Movie
Coup d'éclat
2011 · Movie
Requiem for a Killer
2011 · Movie
The Way
2010 · Movie
Among Us
2010 · Movie
A Previous Engagement
2009 · Movie
A Man and His Dog
2009 · Movie
L'Affaire Bruay-en-Artois
2008 · Movie
Vampire Party
2008 · Movie
The Resistance: Live Free or Die
2008 · Movie
Les Cerfs-volants
2007 · Movie
Boxes
2007 · Movie
The Lark Farm
2007 · Movie
La masseria delle allodole
2007 · Movie
Jacquou the Rebel
2007 · Movie
The Gravedancers
2006 · Movie
S.A.C. : Des hommes dans l'ombre
2005 · Movie
The Accursed Kings
2005 · Series
D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers
2005 · Series
D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers
2005 · Movie
Kaamelott
2005 · Series
Old Goriot
2004 · Movie
A Very Long Engagement
2004 · Movie
Ne quittez pas !
2004 · Movie
Taking Lives
2004 · Movie
Blueberry
2004 · Movie
The Core
2003 · Movie
Utopia
2003 · Movie
The Good Thief
2003 · Movie
Kiss of the Dragon
2001 · Movie
The King Is Dancing
2000 · Movie
The Patriot
2000 · Movie
Arabian Nights
2000 · Series
Saving Grace
2000 · Movie
The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc
1999 · Movie
My Life So Far
1999 · Movie
Like a Fish Out of Water
1999 · Movie
Wing Commander
1999 · Movie
Babel
1999 · Movie
Let There Be Light!
1998 · Movie
From the Earth to the Moon
1998 · Series
The Thousand Wonders of the Universe
1997 · Movie
Dobermann
1997 · Movie
Addicted to Love
1997 · Movie
Habitat
1997 · Movie
Les liens du cœur
1996 · Movie
To Have and to Hold
1996 · Movie
Hotel Rome
1996 · Movie
Foreign Land
1996 · Movie
Passage to Paradise
1996 · Movie
Follow Your Heart
1996 · Movie
GoldenEye
1995 · Movie
Operation Dumbo Drop
1995 · Movie
Crying Freeman
1995 · Movie
Bad Boys
1995 · Movie
Moon Shadow
1995 · Movie
Zadoc and Happiness
1995 · Movie
The Black Angel
1994 · Movie
Nostradamus
1994 · Movie
Fear City: A Family-Style Comedy
1994 · Movie
Red Shoe Diaries 3: Another Woman's Lipstick
1993 · Movie
And the Band Played On
1993 · Movie
L'Atlantide
1992 · Movie
Sketch Artist
1992 · Movie
1492: Conquest of Paradise
1992 · Movie
Red Shoe Diaries
1992 · Series
On Guard
1992 · Movie
Too Close to the Gods
1992 · Movie
Isabelle Eberhardt
1991 · Movie
Husbands and Lovers
1991 · Movie
High Art
1991 · Movie
Vincent and Me
1990 · Movie
Les Nuls, l'émission
1990 · Series
La fille des collines
1990 · Movie
Au coeur de Nikita
1990 · Movie
Nikita
1990 · Movie
Corps perdus
1990 · Movie
Australia
1989 · Movie
The Bear
1988 · Movie
Sorceress
1987 · Movie
Spiral
1987 · Movie
États d'âme
1986 · Movie
Blue Hell
1986 · Movie
L'unique
1986 · Movie
Grottenolm
1985 · Movie
Mad Love
1985 · Movie
Le Matelot 512
1984 · Movie
Full Moon in Paris
1984 · Movie
Rita Ritter
1984 · Movie
The Outsider
1983 · Movie
Shadow Dance
1983 · Movie
La Balance
1982 · Movie
Will the High Salaried Workers Raise Their Hands!
1982 · Movie
Toute une nuit
1982 · Movie
The Return of Martin Guerre
1982 · Movie
Champs-Elysées
1982 · Series
The Sword of Thyrus
Movie
Berlin Berlin
Movie