French actor Cheky Karyo, who starred in the film Nikita and the TV series Missing, has died at the age of 72.
Karyo, who was born in Türkiye and raised in Paris, died of cancer on Friday, AFP reported.
Widely known for his supporting roles, Karyo appeared in films for nearly 40 years and found a second career in television series in his later years.
Karyo’s wife, actress Valérie Keruzoré, and their children announced his death in a statement to news agencies.
Karyo first came to prominence in the crime thriller La Balance (1982) and then played the role of trainer Bob in Luc Besson’s assassination film Nikita (1990).
BBC viewers will probably remember him best for his role in The Missing (2014).
The first eight-part series, which follows the search for a missing boy in France, stars Karyo as French detective Julien Baptiste. James Nesbitt and Frances O’Connor play the boy’s parents.
A second eight-part series about a missing girl in Germany was broadcast in 2016. Karyo returned to Baptiste and David Morrissey and Keeley Hawes became the girl’s parents.
Both series received positive reviews, with critics praising the performances of the cast, especially Karyo.
A spin-off series called Baptiste aired on BBC One in February 2019.
Karyo was born in Istanbul on October 4, 1953, the son of a Turkish truck driver of Spanish Jewish descent and a Greek mother, Le Monde newspaper wrote.
After several years as a theater actor, he was nominated for a César Award for Best Male Revelation for his role in La Balance.
With his strong jaw and piercing eyes, he appeared in dozens of films of all kinds.
Other French films include Besson’s Joan of Arc (1993) and the anti-war epic A Very Long Engagement (2004). He also appeared in Ridley Scott’s 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992) and the James Bond film GoldenEye (1995).
One of his starring roles was that of the medieval prophet Nostradamus in the 1994 film of the same name, and his smallest role was undoubtedly in Amélie (2001), where he appeared only as a face in the album’s ID photo.
