Acclaimed HBO and BBC Actor Dies of Cancer: Tchéky Karyo Was 72

French actor Tchéky Karyo has died. He was 72.

Karyo died last Friday of cancer, according to his wife, fellow actor Valérie Keruzoré, announced to French news agency AFP.

Over his 40-year-long career, the actor spoke fluent English, Spanish, French, and Arabic throughout his many roles in his career, which made him extremely versatile. He was well known for his starring roles in Luc Besson’s action film La Femme Nikita, the HBO series From the Earth to the Moon, and the BBC crime drama The Missing, where he played the conflicted police officer Detective Julian Baptiste.

His role in The Missing was so popular that he ended up getting his own spinoff titled Baptiste, which ran for two seasons.

The Istanbul-born actor took on many roles in other well-known films over the years, from Besson’s Joan of Arc all the way to Michael Bay’s Bad Boys and the James Bond flick Goldeneye.

After the end of Baptiste, Karyo still kept acting. He had over 100 roles in his career, and he worked on big and small screens until his death—his last appearance was in the 2025 film Faster.

An official statement on his death reads “Valérie Keruzoré, his wife, and their children are saddened to announce the passing of Tchéky Karyo, who succumbed to cancer this Friday, October 31.”