The Missing: Obsessive search for the truth

Tcheky Karyo as Julien Baptiste, left, and James Nesbitt as Tony in The Missing.

A child going missing on holiday is every parent's nightmare.

When 5-year-old Oliver disappears while on holiday in France with his parents, it sets off a manhunt that lasts for eight years. The Missing takes you inside the mind of a father desperate to find his son. James Nesbitt stars as Tony, whose exhaustive search for Oliver fractures his marriage and threatens to destroy his life. Tcheky Karyo plays Julien Baptiste, the French police detective who launched the initial search for the child and finds himself drawn back in.

Living spoke to Tcheky Karyo ahead of the series' New Zealand debut tonight.

Can you describe Julien Baptiste?

He is a cop in Paris and is called in for his skill in the matter. He's really alive and very curious. He has a lot of humour and enjoys life. When the story begins for him, he is about to retire; it's the last case he is going to work on. He has a daughter, Sarah, and a wife, Celia, who is from England, and he loves them.

How did you prepare for the role?

I had to jump on it as soon as I started. The main work I did was to make sure I could act without thinking of the language. I just had a few days to focus on the first scenes and make sure I could improvise when necessary. I also asked to have a coach as a sparring partner to rehearse and prepare myself to understand the characters in front of me.

Why do you think Julien came out of retirement to help Tony?

The case was closed in 2006 and when he comes out of retirement we are in 2014. When he meets Tony after all those years, he sees a man totally broken, destroyed and that's shaking for a soul like Julien. Tony doesn't accept that he will never know the truth about the abduction and during eight years he keeps trying to find evidence. In a way, Julien's feelings for Tony are like that of a young brother and there is a lot of empathy for him. He is deeply touched by his obsession.

Do you see Julien as obsessed?

He is obsessed by the desire to solve the case. It's his vocation and his cross to carry. He was meant to be obsessed with finding the truth and perfection.

What has it been like working with the other actors?

I love discovering other actors and it's interesting to find out how we're going to relate to each other. For instance, when Anastasia, the actress who plays my wife, arrived, I didn't know her, and we have to be like we've known each other for 20 years. We found ourselves together quite quickly; I went to hold her in my arms and she accepted it, so the door was open for us to be free on set to act like we know each other. Acting is a universal language with the desire to share emotions and put yourself at stake.

Why should viewers tune into the show?

The actors, the technique, the light are all good and the script itself is really compelling. Viewers will get the opportunity to observe how life may go on after such tragedy.

The Missing premieres on TV One tonight at 9.35pm.