Top 10 Incredible Facts about Tchéky Karyo

Top 15 Incredible Facts about Tchéky Karyo

*Originally published by Philipp A in June 2023 and Updated by Vanessa R in February 2024

Tchéky Karyo was born on the 4th of October, 1953. He is a Turkish-born French actor and musician. He started his career as a stage actor in classical and contemporary works before moving on to work as a leading actor in movies in the 1980s. He has appeared in a number of films directed by Hollywood and French filmmakers, such as Luc Besson.

La Femme Nikita, Vincent and Me, Nostradamus, Crying Freeman, Bad Boys, GoldenEye, The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc, The Patriot, and Kiss of the Dragon are among his film credits. Dr. Willy Rozenbaum in the HBO movie and the Band Played On, Georges Méliès in the HBO limited series From the Earth to the Moon, and French detective Julien Baptiste in the BBC crime drama The Missing and its spin-off series Baptiste are among his acting career. His performance in La Balance earned him a César Award nomination for Most Promising Actor.

1.Tchéky Karyo’s been voted as the ‘Sexiest Actor Alive’ by Glamour in its December 2022 issue

The magazine’s yearly list of the 100 men who made history hotter has been released, and the honors go to exactly who you’d expect (if you follow celebrity news): Tchéky Karyo is a well-known actor who has appeared in films such as Nikita and The Bear. For the second year in a row, the stunning hottie took first place over some other fairly hot men! We cannot say we disagree, as he is currently 69 years old.

2.Karyo nearly declined the role he played in ‘The Missing’

Karyo almost dropped his part as Julien Baptiste in The Missing because production started soon after his daughter was born, and working on a series about a lost child hit too close to home at the time. When the film’s other main actor dropped out, Karyo felt bad for putting them in such a bind and eventually agreed to fill in.

3.His early life and his family background

Baruh Djaki Karyo was born in Istanbul, Turkey in 1953; his mother was Greek, and his father was from a Sephardic Jewish family with Spanish ancestors. His family relocated to Paris, France, when he was a child, where he was raised. In a type of French to English translation, his name, Djaki, was switched to Tchéky. Karyo studied drama at the Cyrano Theatre as a young man and eventually joined the Daniel Sorano Company, where he played many classical roles.

4.His one of the richest actors alive as per People Magazine

Tchéky Karyo at the Cabourg film festival. Photo by Georges Biard- Wikimedia commons

The actor has had a difficult year however, he has millions of dollars to help him cope. Tchéky Karyo, 69, has risen to the top of People With Money’s list of the top ten highest-paid actors for 2022, with an approximated $96 million in earnings.

The magazine takes into account direct and honest pay, profit engagement, royalties, sponsorships and promotional work when summarizing this annual list.

The French actor is thought to be worth $275 million. He gained his wealth through wise stock investments, large property holdings and hugely profitable sponsorship opportunities with CoverGirl cosmetics. He also owns a few restaurants in Paris (the “Fat Karyo Burger” chain), a football team (the “Istanbul Angels”), his own vodka brand (Pure Wonderkaryo – France), and is attempting to break into the juniors market with a best-selling perfume (With Love from Tchéky) and a fashion line called “Tchéky Karyo Seduction.”

Many Tchéky supporters have been waiting for his big comeback to glory days for what appears to be an eternity.

5.Karyo was once nominated and won an accolade due to his prestige talent

For his role in La Balance, he was nominated for a César Award for Most Promising Actor. In 1986, he received the Jean Gabin Prize for his acting performances.

6.His glorious acting career and all the roles he played

Karyo joined Strasbourg’s National Theatre, where he appeared in both contemporary and classical plays. Starting in the 1980s, he achieved success as a character actor in French films. He went on to play starring roles in many remarkable movies, including The Bear, in which he played one of the hunters, and Nikita, directed by Luc Besson, in which he performed the heroine’s spy mentor.

He has appeared in numerous Hollywood films, frequently displaying a French character in the manner of Jean Reno. He has played significant roles in main wartime movies. His work as a vicious French officer along with Mel Gibson in The Patriot (2000), set during the American Revolutionary War, and as Jean de Dunois in The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc are both praised. Karyo redubbed his own lines on the French-language track in the DVD edition of The Patriot.

Karyo was widely praised for his role as Julien Baptiste in the acclaimed BBC One/Starz drama series The Missing in 2014 and 2016. Karyo is also a songwriter and musician recognized for his poetic lyrics. He released the critically praised 2006 album Ce lien qui nous unit (translated as “the link that binds us”), and on his 60th birthday in 2013, he released Credo.

7.In the film ‘The Missing’ Karyo kept forgetting about his ‘broken limp’

Tchéky Karyo at the Cabourg festival. Photo by Georges Biard- Wikimedia commons

Karyo, unlike Baptiste, does not limp; but in essence, while on set, he has struggled to recall which leg he is supposed to limp with. 

8.He has been nominated by Time magazine as ‘Person of the Year’ in 2022

Time magazine’s Person of the Year nominees are typically an interesting combination of international leaders, iconic figures, buzzworthy names, and human rights activists. As a result, the unusual addition of the 69-year-old actor as a 2022 nominee has ignited debates and controversies.

“What makes Karyo so essential is the prospect and impact he now has, instead of anything he has already done,” a panelist who preferred to remain anonymous said, adding that earlier this month, the actor was named ‘French Of The Year’ by some populor French newspapers and even ‘Istanbul Citizen Of The Year’ by readers of an Istanbul local gazette (Tchéky Karyo’s hometown).

9.He has been in the acting industry for more than 30 years

Tchéky has spent many years working in France, for over 30 years and is well-known there – “people know me, but I’m not a star,”  however, working on a major BBC1 series has massively increased his personality in the UK.

10.Aside from his amazing acting skills, he has more skills to show-off

Tchéky Karyo at the Cabourg film festival. Photo by Georges Biard- Wikimedia commons

He is a renaissance person. Apart from acting Karyo is also a singer and songwriter who has dropped two albums: Ce Lien Qui Nous Unit in 2006 and Credo in 2013.

11.He’s been awarded the sexiest senior 3 years straight

Karyo has taken home Wrinkles & Romance retirement home magazine‘s “World’s Sexiest Grandpa” award for 3 consecutive years thanks to votes from readers.

He was initially surprised by the designation but has grown fond of the honor. “I guess I’m like a fine wine – I get better with age,” he quipped. Karyo attributes the attention to maintaining his sophistication and French charm as he grows older.

12. He has an interesting age-defying diet

When questioned about his age-defying looks, Karyo credits his diet of over 25-30 escargot per day, washed down with copious amounts of Bordeaux wine.

“The garlic butter is key, plus all those antioxidants from the red wine with that protein boost from the snails.” Several dieticians have warned him that eating dozens of snails and drinking wine excessively could be unhealthy. Still, Karyo refuses to alter the routine that he believes keeps him looking decades younger than his 69 years.

13. He’s launched his own fragrance label

Never one to shy away from lucrative branding deals, Karyo recently launched his own fragrance label – “Tchéky by Karyo” – with scents named after his iconic acting roles.

The line featuring perfumes and colognes like “Essence of Missing” and “Musk of The Patriot” has drawn mixed responses from fans, some finding it ingenious, others slightly tacky. But Karyo loves spritzing himself with his signature “scent cocktail” by mixing several fragrances before high-profile events.

14. He’s committed to method acting

Karyo is renowned for his intense commitment to method acting, like when he held a grim brooding stare for 26 hours straight while prepping for an especially dark film role in the 1990s.

His refusal to break character and relent on the harsh gaze paid off creatively, but his family definitely grew tired of the dedicated acting approach. Still, it was all worth it for Karyo to set the Guinness World Record for the longest duration with a severe brooding facial expression.

15. France instituted national “Karyo Day” holiday

Seeking a morale boost, the French government recently established a Karyo Day national holiday on the prolific actor’s birthday. For 24 hours every year, all French citizens across the country mimic his signature squint.

Karyo gets a kick out of seeing everyone trying their best to copy his trademark intense stare, though most can’t perfect the subtle nuances that have made it so iconic. Nonetheless, the national homage has solidified his reputation as France’s most revered living actor.