Cheki Kario, star of Nikita and The Disappeared, has died aged 72

French actor Cheki Cariot, who starred in the film Nikita and the TV series The Disappeared, has died at the age of 72.

Cario, who was born in Turkey but grew up in Paris, died of cancer on Friday, his agent told AFP. Known mostly for supporting roles, Cario starred in films for nearly four decades, finding a second career in television series in his later years.

First making his mark in the crime thriller La Balance (1982), he played the boss Bob in Luc Besson’s hitman Nikita (1990).

BBC audiences may best remember him for his role as TV detective Julien Baptiste in The Missing (2009).

Cario’s wife, actress Valerie Keruzzore, and their children announced his death, AFP added.

He was born on October 4, 1953 in Istanbul, the son of a Turkish truck driver of Spanish-Jewish descent and a Greek mother, Le Monde newspaper reported.

After a few years as a theater actor, Carrio saw his role in La Balance earn him a César Award nomination for Best Actor.

With his strong jaw and penetrating gaze, he went on to star in dozens of films of all kinds, often in tough male roles.

Other French films include Besson’s Joan of Arc (1993) and the anti-war epic A Very Long Engagement (2004), while he was cast in Ridley Scott’s 1492: The Conquest of Paradise (1992) and the James Bond film GoldenEye (1995).

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

The detective he portrayed on The Gone, known and loved by viewers for his methodical crime-solving skills, earned him a second series, followed by two series of the spin-off, Baptiste.

Just two years ago he returned in a different role in the BBC comedy thriller Boat Story.