Profile Text
Karyo in 2003, photo by Prphotos.com
Birth Name: Baruh Djaki Karyo
Date of Birth: 4 October, 1953
Place of Birth: Istanbul, Turkey
Date of Death: 31 October, 2025
Place of Death: Quimper, France
Ethnicity: Sephardi Jewish
Tchéky Karyo was a French film and stage actor, and musician. He had leading roles in numerous French and Hollywood productions. His roles included the films The Return of Martin Guerre , Full Moon in Paris , La Femme Nikita , Nostradamus (1994), Bad Boys (1995), Operation Dumbo Drop , GoldenEye , Habitat (1997), Addicted to Love , Wing Commander , The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc , The Patriot (2000), Kiss of the Dragon , The Good Thief , Taking Lives , A Very Long Engagement , The Way (2010), and Mary Magdalene (2018).
Tchéky was born in Istanbul, Turkey, and grew up in Paris, France. His family was Jewish. Tchéky had a Bar Mitzvah ceremony in Turkey. His father’s family had Sephardi Jewish roots from Spain, but lived in Turkey for many centuries. Tchéky’s mother was a Greek Jew, with roots in Thessaloniki. Members of her family were deported by the Nazis during WWII. His aunt survived Auschwitz.
He was married to actress Valérie Keruzoré, until his death, with whom he had two children.
Source: Interview with Tchéky Karyo about his background – http://www.actuj.com