Haluk Bilginer
Encyclopedia
Haluk Bilginer is a Turkish
actor. In addition to his acting career in Turkey, he has also worked in the United Kingdom and remains best known for his role as Mehmet Osman
in the television soap opera EastEnders
during the 1980s. He has also starred in Hollywood movies as a minor actor. He played a villainous guerrilla leader in the 1987 comedy film
Ishtar
(one of the most notorious flops in movie history) and a Turkish Mafioso
in the 2001 dark comedy film Buffalo Soldiers
.
, Turkey. He started his career after graduating from London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
. He landed his first role at EastEnders. During the course of the show, he came to Turkey to star in the 1987 TV series "Gecenin Öteki Yüzü" (The Other Side of the Night), where he met his eventual first wife Zuhal Olcay
. After dividing his time in London and Istanbul for six years, he left the show to stay in Turkey permanently and married Zuhal Olcay in 1992. He guest starred in an episode of Young Indiana Jones
as Ismet Inönü
, and went on the star in the Yavuz Özkan film "İki Kadın" (Two Women). He then starred in various movies including the controversial "Istanbul Kanatlarımın Altında" (Istanbul Under My Wings) and the famous "Usta Beni Öldürsene" (Master, Kill Me). After critical acclaim for these roles, he earned his first award as a supporting actor in "Masumiyet
" (Innocence).
After deciding he wants to pursue career on stage, he founded "Tiyatro Stüdyosu" (Theatre Studio) with his wife Zuhal Olcay and Ahmet Levendoğlu in 1990. After starring in various plays for six years, he had to return to screen in 1996 because of a fire that has destroyed the theater. He and his wife starred in television and movies to raise money to found another theater. During this era, he starred in Eyvah Kızım Büyüdü (Oh My, My Daughter Has Grown), starting his second era in television. After years of work, he and his wife managed to start a second theater, called "Oyun Atölyesi" (Play Workshop).
His most famous role however came after he started his second theater. He landed a role in Tatlı Hayat, a remake of The Jeffersons
. He played the role of İhsan Yıldırım, an angry, racist and foul-mouthed, yet lovable dry cleaner. He was accompanied by legendary actress Türkan Şoray
, who played his wife, Asuman Dabak playing the witty cleaner, Neco
playing the Greek neighbor (The enmity between Greeks and Turks were put instead of the Black-White one on the original) and Çolpan İlhan
playing Neco's wife. He and the show's breakthrough character İrfan (played by Celal Kadri Kınoğlu) are regarded as the best characters in Turkish TV history.
After Tatlı Hayat, he starred in "Neredesin Firuze" (Where Are You Firuze?), "Hırsız Var" (Thief!) and "Hacivat Karagöz Neden Öldürüldü?" (Why Were Hacivat&Karagöz Murdered?). His most recent role in "Polis" (Police) however, is his most critically acclaimed role after Tatlı Hayat. His portrayal of the troubled police legend Musa Rami has gained critical acclaim from both critics and viewers, who thought the movie was too experimental. Bilginer, however, has said that he will work in all of Onur Ünlü (screenwriter and director of Polis) movies, even as an extra if required.
Bilginer played the role of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
in an İş Bank commercial
, which first aired on 10 November 2007 during the 69th commemorations of Atatürk's death.
Bilginer co-starred the 2009 American thriller The International
as Ahmet Sunay, a Turkish high-tech missile guidance system dealer. He was accompanied by Clive Owen
and Naomi Watts
in this movie.
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
actor. In addition to his acting career in Turkey, he has also worked in the United Kingdom and remains best known for his role as Mehmet Osman
Mehmet Osman
Mehmet Osman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Haluk Bilginer. Mehmet was portrayed as a charmer, rogue and a serial womaniser, played as a recurring character until 1989.-Storylines:...
in the television soap opera EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
during the 1980s. He has also starred in Hollywood movies as a minor actor. He played a villainous guerrilla leader in the 1987 comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
Ishtar
Ishtar (film)
Ishtar is a 1987 American comedy film directed by Elaine May and starring Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman as "Rogers and Clarke" – a duo of incredibly untalented lounge singers who travel to Morocco looking for work, and stumble into a four-party Cold War standoff.It also starred Isabelle Adjani...
(one of the most notorious flops in movie history) and a Turkish Mafioso
Mafioso
Mafioso may refer to:* Mafioso , a 1962 Italian crime comedy film* Mafioso , a member of an Italian mafia clan* Mafioso rap, a hip hop sub-genre...
in the 2001 dark comedy film Buffalo Soldiers
Buffalo Soldiers (2001 film)
Buffalo Soldiers is a 2001 film, based on the 1993 novel by Robert O'Connor, which follows the rogue activities of a group of US soldiers based in West Germany during 1989 when the fall of the Berlin Wall is imminent...
.
Life and career
Bilginer was born in İzmirIzmir
Izmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey...
, Turkey. He started his career after graduating from London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art is a leading British drama school in west London. LAMDA's president is Timothy West and its new principal is Joanna Read, who recently succeeded Peter James...
. He landed his first role at EastEnders. During the course of the show, he came to Turkey to star in the 1987 TV series "Gecenin Öteki Yüzü" (The Other Side of the Night), where he met his eventual first wife Zuhal Olcay
Zuhal Olcay
Zuhal Olcay is a famous Turkish actress and singer.-Biography:She started first as an actress in 1980's and became famous with films like "Amansız Yol", "Kurşun Ata Ata Biter", "Bir Avuç Gökyüzü", "Halkalı Köle" and "Dünden Sonra Yarından Önce"...
. After dividing his time in London and Istanbul for six years, he left the show to stay in Turkey permanently and married Zuhal Olcay in 1992. He guest starred in an episode of Young Indiana Jones
Indiana Jones
Colonel Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., Ph.D. is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Indiana Jones franchise. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg created the character in homage to the action heroes of 1930s film serials...
as Ismet Inönü
Ismet Inönü
Mustafa İsmet İnönü was a Turkish Army General, Prime Minister and the second President of Turkey. In 1938, the Republican People's Party gave him the title of "Milli Şef" .-Family and early life:...
, and went on the star in the Yavuz Özkan film "İki Kadın" (Two Women). He then starred in various movies including the controversial "Istanbul Kanatlarımın Altında" (Istanbul Under My Wings) and the famous "Usta Beni Öldürsene" (Master, Kill Me). After critical acclaim for these roles, he earned his first award as a supporting actor in "Masumiyet
Masumiyet
Masumiyet is a 1997 Turkish dramatic film directed by Zeki Demirkubuz and starring Derya Alabora, Haluk Bilginer and Güven Kıraç. It was followed by a prequel Kader produced in 2006.- Cast :* Derya Alabora ~ Uğur* Haluk Bilginer ~ Bekir...
" (Innocence).
After deciding he wants to pursue career on stage, he founded "Tiyatro Stüdyosu" (Theatre Studio) with his wife Zuhal Olcay and Ahmet Levendoğlu in 1990. After starring in various plays for six years, he had to return to screen in 1996 because of a fire that has destroyed the theater. He and his wife starred in television and movies to raise money to found another theater. During this era, he starred in Eyvah Kızım Büyüdü (Oh My, My Daughter Has Grown), starting his second era in television. After years of work, he and his wife managed to start a second theater, called "Oyun Atölyesi" (Play Workshop).
His most famous role however came after he started his second theater. He landed a role in Tatlı Hayat, a remake of The Jeffersons
The Jeffersons
The Jeffersons is an American sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, through June 25, 1985, lasting 11 seasons and a total of 253 episodes. The show was produced by the T.A.T. Communications Company from 1975–1982 and by Embassy Television from 1982-1985...
. He played the role of İhsan Yıldırım, an angry, racist and foul-mouthed, yet lovable dry cleaner. He was accompanied by legendary actress Türkan Şoray
Türkan Soray
- Biography :Türkan Şoray was born to a government official father, Halit Şoray and her mother, Meliha Şoray, was a housewife. She has one younger sister Nazan, who is also an actress in her own right but is nowhere near as famous as Türkan. After the birth of her younger sister, Türkan's parents...
, who played his wife, Asuman Dabak playing the witty cleaner, Neco
Neco
Manoel Nunes , born March 5, 1895 in São Paulo – died May 31, 1977 in São Paulo, Brazil) was an association football midfielder. With great skill and tenacity, he was the first idol of Corinthians, being the first player to get a statue in the team's gardens...
playing the Greek neighbor (The enmity between Greeks and Turks were put instead of the Black-White one on the original) and Çolpan İlhan
Çolpan Ilhan
Çolpan İlhan is a Turkish cinema and theatre actress. She has been awarded the title of 'State artist of Turkey". She has acted in a total of more than 300 films and theatre plays....
playing Neco's wife. He and the show's breakthrough character İrfan (played by Celal Kadri Kınoğlu) are regarded as the best characters in Turkish TV history.
After Tatlı Hayat, he starred in "Neredesin Firuze" (Where Are You Firuze?), "Hırsız Var" (Thief!) and "Hacivat Karagöz Neden Öldürüldü?" (Why Were Hacivat&Karagöz Murdered?). His most recent role in "Polis" (Police) however, is his most critically acclaimed role after Tatlı Hayat. His portrayal of the troubled police legend Musa Rami has gained critical acclaim from both critics and viewers, who thought the movie was too experimental. Bilginer, however, has said that he will work in all of Onur Ünlü (screenwriter and director of Polis) movies, even as an extra if required.
Bilginer played the role of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was an Ottoman and Turkish army officer, revolutionary statesman, writer, and the first President of Turkey. He is credited with being the founder of the Republic of Turkey....
in an İş Bank commercial
Is Bank commercial featuring Atatürk
The İş Bank commercial featuring Atatürk, the founder of Turkey, first aired on Turkish television channels on 10 November 2007, coinciding with the 69th commemoration of Atatürk's death. This is reportedly the first commercial featuring Atatürk...
, which first aired on 10 November 2007 during the 69th commemorations of Atatürk's death.
Bilginer co-starred the 2009 American thriller The International
The International (film)
The International is a 2009 thriller film directed by Tom Tykwer. The film follows an Interpol agent and an American attorney who investigate corruption within the IBBC, a fictional merchant bank based in Luxembourg. It serves organized crime and corrupt governments as a banker and as an arms...
as Ahmet Sunay, a Turkish high-tech missile guidance system dealer. He was accompanied by Clive Owen
Clive Owen
Clive Owen is an English actor, who has worked on television, stage and film. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for portraying the lead in the ITV series Chancer from 1990 to 1991...
and Naomi Watts
Naomi Watts
Naomi Ellen Watts is a British actress. Watts began her career in Australian television, where she appeared in series such as Hey Dad..! , Brides of Christ , and Home and Away . Her film debut was the 1986 drama For Love Alone...
in this movie.
External links
- Biyografi.info – Biography of Haluk Bilginer
- Sinematurk.com – Filmography of Haluk Bilginer
- http://www.halukbilginer.org