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Tchéky Karyo -- a longtime actor with parts in major films -- has died ... according to his wife and their children.

Karyo passed away Friday after a battle with cancer, his family told the French news agency AFP. Getty

The actor, who was born in Turkey in 1953, got a later start on his career ... first nabbing acclaimed film roles in his early '30s, including his part in crime thriller "La balance" which earned him a César Award nomination for Most Promising Actor in 1982.

Over the next five decades, Karyo appeared in numerous popular French films -- like "La Femme Nikita" and "The Bear" -- as well as films beloved by American audiences.

Spy fans might recognize Karyo as Dmitri Mishkin -- the Russian Minister of Defence -- in the James Bond flick

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