With over 140 acting credits, Turkish/French actor Tchéky Karyo has always been a favorite of mine. In the late ’90s-2000s, he seemed to appear in many films I watched, always leaving a pleasant performance in his wake. He was the de facto “frenchman” in many movies and would gain fame for playing ‘Bob’ in 1990s “La Femme Nikita” as well as “Bad Boys” (1995) and “The Core” (2003). IMDb lists him as “one of France’s most popular actors.”
I was saddened to hear of Karyo’s passing on October 31st, losing a battle to cancer. Below, I list four of Karyo’s films that left an indelible mark on me—either due to his performance or the way his lovable-yet-mischevious charm worked its way into his films in unforgettable way. The Movie Buff mourns his passing and those close to him he left in his wake. If you have a favorite Karyo performance not included on the list, feel free to let us know in the comments.
‘And the Band Played On’ (1993) as Dr. Willy Rozenbaum
“And the Band Played On” is a great film. The TV movie from 1993 was based on journalist Randy Shilts’ book and co-written by Arnold Schulman. The film chronicles the discovery of the HIV virus and the resulting AIDS epidemic though a global lens. The movie is almost biography in the way it explores both the physical ailments the disease brought on and the political mishandling—and anti-gay prejudice—that were chronicled as a result of it. It featured a bevy of A-list actors yet felt wholly intimate and unsettling.
Karyo here plays Dr. Willy Rozenbaum, an infectious disease expert at a French hospital which is inundated with patients suffering from opportunistic infection from what would be called the AIDS virus. He treats the patients with compassion and care, yet comes under fire from hospital administration due to the “unwanted” exposure they hospital was receiving in the public lens due to a majority of the AIDS sufferers being gay. After the usual “let’s do what’s best” talk with a higher up that usually leads to the integral person selling out and stepping in line, Rozenbaum utters the memorable, “no, that’s the end of the discussion. The end of the matter is I’ll find another hospital.” In reality, Rozenbaum and the French were instrumental in discovering the HIV virus and “And the Band Played On” is apt in criticizing American exceptionalism that tries to co-opt his efforts.
‘GoldenEye’ (1995) as Defense Minister Dimitri Mishkin
One of the franchise’s best Bond films (my opinion), “GoldenEye” was the re-launch of the Bond franchise with Pierce Brosnan in the lead role. The film has him jet-setting all over the globe, this time spending a large amount of time in Russia as he tries to unravel a conspiracy of the destruction of a telecommunications station at the hands of a Russian super-weapon.
Karyo works his way into this film as Defense Minister Dimitri Mishkin, who detains Bond after one of his more explosive forays. The cheeky dialogue between the two is humorous, as when Bond taunts him that Russia’s lost the art of doing a “really sinister interrogation,” all the more apt because Mishkin is actually an honest character. He’s in over his head, thwarted by the villainous Alec Trevalyan (Sean Bean) and Col. Ourumov (Gottfried John). But he delivers a (albeit short-lived) performance to remember, and I’m glad his likeness was included in the “GoldenEye” Nintendo 64 video game, which lives on as one of the best early first person shooters.
‘The Patriot’ (2000) as Jean Villeneuve
Karyo’s role in Roland Emmerich’s “The Patriot” is a great one, if for no other reason that it acts as the film’s only bit of historical scrutiny, even if it is lighter fare. He plays Jean Villeneuve, a Frenchman that comes to the aid of the American revolution, fighting alongside Mel Gibson’s character, Benjamin Martin. He holds himself in decorum, in one of the film’s most iconic sequences dressing in full French military regalia before announcing, “If I die, I will die well dressed.”
But the reason “The Patriot” sticks out as one of Karyo’s best performance is due to the understated pressure his presence puts on Gibson’s Martin, despite his desire to help. Martin’s character was renowned as a hero for massacring a number of Cherokee and French at the Battle of Fort Wilderness. Villeneuve’s presence makes him question the barbarity with which committed these acts, along with the complexity of accepting French assistance to free America from British rule with his history. Karyo—as Villeneuve—never criticizes Martin for his actions; however, his silent eyes and lingering questions make his character that much more integral, and alongside this he’s just massively fun to watch.
‘Saving Grace’ (2000) as Jacques Chevalier
“Saving Grace” is a personal favorite. It’s a zany English comedy drama about a woman named Grace (Brenda Blethyn) who ends up in massive debt after her husband passes away and leaves her buried under bills. Grace was a simple wife who never really questioned things and lived in an isolated existence. The small seaside community she lives in seem like simple folk. Among them is Matthew (a young and hilarious Craig Ferguson) who loves his now-pregnant girlfriend and marijuana in equal measure. He devises a plan to get Grace out of debt by helping her come out of her shell and repurpose her massive greenhouse (she’s a plant lover) as a marijuana growing enterprise. What ensues is hijinks and laughs aplenty.
Karyo plays Jacques Chevalier, a drug dealer that comes into the picture when Grace’s drug operation becomes too large scale for her to handle. Karyo is hilarious here, first positioning himself as a serious and scary criminal who oozes a threatening demeanor before turning into a comical fun bad guy who has a thing for Grace. It’s laugh-inducing to watch him move on Grace, and even more so due to the latter’s bookishness and shy personality. Again, Karyo doesn’t have an enormous amount of screen-time, but kills what little time he does. He’s immensely likable here and shows the actor could do comedy as well as the best of them. He’s just an overly lovable character and leaves a great impression.
The Movie Buff offers condolences to Karyo’s family. Hopefully his many acting roles will find audiences in the future much like they have in the past, letting his legacy live on.
