Actor Cheki Kariot, who played in The Bear and Nikita, died at 72

French actor Cheki Kariot has died at the age of 72, FOCUS reported. He was known for his roles in the films “The Bear“ by Jean-Jacques Annaud and “Nikita“ by Luc Besson.

Born on October 4, 1953 in Istanbul, the actor is the son of a Turkish truck driver — himself from a Jewish family of Spanish origin — and a Greek mother. In 1982, Cheki Kariot made his debut in Chantal Ackerman's film “Every Night“.

In the 1990s, his fame in France allowed him to develop an international career. He appeared alongside Gérard Depardieu in "1492: The Conquest of Paradise" (1992), then with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in "Bad Boys" (1995), and also as the Russian Minister of Defense in "Goldeneye" also in 1995.