French actor Tchéky Karyo, who had a starring role in the film Nikita and the TV series The Missing, has died aged 72.


Karyo, who was born in Turkey but grew up in Paris, died of cancer on Friday, as reported by AFP news agency.


Known largely for supporting roles, Karyo acted in films for nearly four decades 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 the news agency.


Karyo first made his mark in crime thriller La Balance (1982) and played the handler Bob in Luc Besson's assassin film Nikita (1990).


BBC audiences might best remember him for his role in The Missing (2014).
The first eight-part series, about the search for a missing boy in France, starred Karyo as French detective Julien Baptiste. James Nesbitt and Frances O'Connor played the boy's parents.


The second eight-part series, about a missing girl in Germany, was broadcast in 2016, with Karyo returning as Baptiste, alongside David Morrissey and Keeley Hawes as the girl's parents.


Both series received positive reviews, with critics praising the cast, especially Karyo's performance.


In February 2019, a spin-off series titled Baptiste was broadcast on BBC One.


Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, remarked: We are so sad to learn of the passing of Tchéky Karyo. He was a truly brilliant and much-loved actor and he will be fondly remembered by BBC viewers for his roles in The Missing, Baptiste and most recently Boat Story. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones at this time.


Karyo was born on 4 October 1953 in Istanbul, the son of a Turkish lorry driver of Spanish-Jewish origin and a Greek mother, according to Le Monde newspaper.


After several years as a theatrical actor, he made his cinematic debut in La Balance, earning a nomination for the César Award for Best Male Revelation.


With his strong jaw and penetrating stare, he starred in dozens of films across various genres.


Other notable French films included 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 in the James Bond film GoldenEye (1995).


One of his notable roles was as the medieval prophet Nostradamus in the 1994 film of the same name, while his smallest role was in Amélie (2001), where he only appeared as a face in an ID photograph in an album.