Best Turkish Actors (Comedy)

Born in 1944 Istanbul, Turkey. Graduated from Vefa High School, Fatih, Istanbul. Sunal acted in many popular films, although he began his artistic career in the theater. His first play was called, "Unwilling Doctor" and he later worked at the Devekusu Kabare Theatre with Ulvi Uraz. Although Sunal had minor roles at first, after 1973 he was highly acclaimed for his roles in movies with large casts. He won the Antalya Film Festival's Golden Orange Award in 1977. He contributed greatly to Turkish cinema with his successful acting, including his roles in such movies as "Hababam Sinifi" (Outrageous Class), "Kapicilar Krali" (King of Janitors), "Salako" (Moron), "Inek Saban" (Shaban the Cow) and "Davaro". Sunal's latest role was in Sinan Cetin's border comedy "Propaganda"(1999). He also made a TV commercial.

Kemal Sunal died suddenly of a heart attack on July 3 at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport. he had just boarded the plane for Trabzon, where he was to take part in the filming of director Ali Ozgenturk's "Balalaika" (2000).

His death caused a wave of sorrow across Turkey. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and Minister of Culture Istemihan Talay and other politicians sent messages of condolence expressing their sorrow.

Adile Nasit was born on 16 June 1930 in Istanbul, Turkey. She was an actress, known for Iste Hayat (1975), Feyzo, the Polite One (1978) and The Chaos Class Failed the Class (1975). She was married to Cemal Ince and Ziya Keskiner. She died on 11 December 1987 in Istanbul, Turkey.

While studying at the Department of Tourism and Hotel Management of Bogazici University, he started drawing comics for the Turkish humor magazine Leman. In August 1995 he did his first stand-up comedy show in "Leman Culture Center" performing with no serious career intentions as a comedian. However, after the positive response of the audience, he continued his show to attract larger crowds in Besiktas Cultural Center where he has appeared in over a thousand stand-up comedy shows since, becoming so popular that tickets have sold for 250TL (approx. US$140).

His movie career started in 1998 with a co-starring role in the comedy Everything's Gonna Be Great (1998), directed by Ömer Vargi, and continued with a role in Vizontele (2001), directed by Yilmaz Erdogan and Ömer Faruk Sorak. He achieved his greatest success by starring in and writing big-budget science-fiction parody G.O.R.A. (2004), also directed by Ömer Faruk Sorak, which despite spending several years in production because of financial and other technical problems became a box-office hit and described by Rekin Teksoy as a strong sign that showed that popular cinema was successful in appealing to wide audiences. He maintained this success with a starring role in the comedy feature movie Magic Carpet Ride (2005) AKA 'Magic Carpet Ride', also directed by Yilmaz Erdogan, for which he won Best Supporting Actor at the 11th Sadri Alisik Awards, and his directorial debut with The Magician (2006), co-directed by Ali Taner Baltaci, for which he won Best Actor at the 34th Brussels International Independent Film Festival and 12th Sadri Alisik Awards. He has since repeated his box office success with a sequel to G.O.R.A. (2004) called A.R.O.G (2008), also co-directed by Ali Taner Baltaci, and comedy Western parody called Yahsi Bati - The Ottoman Cowboys (2009), directed by Ömer Faruk Sorak. That same year, he co-starred, alongside veteran actor Sener Sen, in the police drama Hunting Season (2010), written and directed by Yavuz Turgul, and made a special appearance in drama Zefir (2010), written and directed by Belma Bas. After two years he also acted in Ferzan Özpetek's A Magnificent Haunting (2012). After he filmed his last stand-up comedy show CM101MMXI Fundamentals (2013) directed by Murat Dündar, he announced that for the next few years he will stop his stand-up comedy shows to have a rest.

Along his professional career, he has won numerous awards and appeared in more than 4000 stand-up comedy shows, took part in 10 movies and contributed as a dubbing performer in 4 movies.

Early in his career, he mainly acted in comedy movies with Kemal Sunal such as "Hababam Sinifi", "Tosun Pasa", "Davaro" etc. Later, he had roles in movies criticizing Turkish society for its moral weaknesses as in "Milyarder", " Çiplak Vatandas" and the ones that reflected the contemporary social developments and problems as in "Zügürt Aga". He played in "Gönül Yarasi-Lovelorn" that was nominated to be the candidate for Academy Awards in 2005. He had many national and international awards and honored as a state artist by Turkish Republic in 1998.

Born in 1942, Metin Akpinar started acting at the age of 20 with an amateur dramatics society. He landed his first professional stage role two years later, in 1964, and this was followed by performances in several leading theatre productions. In 1967, he co-founded the Devekusu Theatre, Turkey's first cabaret theatre. His film career took off in 1972, when he acted in the first of several Ertem Egilmez comedies to follow. Soon after, he developed an enduring screen partnership with the actor and director, Zeki Alasya, the two gaining popularity as a pair of comic dimwits. It was only in the 1990s that Akpinar, by now an experienced actor, broke away and decided to go his own way in film, theatre and television alike.

Müjdat Gezen was born on 29 October 1943 in Istanbul, Turkey. He is an actor and writer, known for Girgiriye (1981), Homoti (1987) and Bizim Sokak (1982). He has been married to Leyla Turgut since 1988. He was previously married to Gün Irk.

Engin Günaydin (born 23 January 1972) is a Turkish actor and comedian.

Günaydin was born in Erbaa, Tokat Province. He began his university studies at Hacettepe University Conservatory, but in his second year he switched to Mimar Sinan University from where he graduated in theatre.

In 1997, he had a small role in Otogargara which caused him to be cast in the television series Bir Demet Tiyatro where he played Zabita Irfan. Later he acted in Askim Askim with Mehmet Ali Erbil and Emel Sayin. In 2001, he acted in Zeki Demirkubuz's film Yazgi for which he received the Best Supporting Actor Award at the Ankara Film Festival. In 2004, he began doing sketches on Okan Bayülgen's show. In 2005, he accepted an offer from Gülse Birsel and joined the cast of the sitcom Avrupa Yakasi as Burhan Altintop, his most famous role. In 2009, he wrote the screenplay of and starred in Vavien directed by the Taylan Brothers. For this, he won a number of screenwriting awards at the Istanbul Film Festival, Yesilcam Awards and the Siyad awards.

Additionally, he did a series of stand up shows titled O Hikayedeki Mal Benim.

He shared the Adana Golden Boll International Film Festival's Best Actor Award in 2012 together with Ilyas Salman for his role in Inside.

Ata Demirer born July 6, 1972 in Bursa, Turkey is a Turkish filmmaker and stand-up comedian famous, Demirer, who demonstrated a talent for music at an early age, studied at Bursa Boy's High School before transferring in his final year and graduating with hon ours from Çelebi Mehmet High School. After leaving school he found work, with the help of his brothers, as a night club pianist. In 1991, he moved to Istanbul after being accepted on a music course at the Turkish State Conservatory at Istanbul Technical University.

Zeki Alasya (18 April 1943 - 8 May 2015) was a Turkish actor and film director. Alasya was of Turkish Cypriot descent and was related to Kibrisli Mehmed Kamil Pasha.

Alasya was born in Istanbul. After studying at Robert College, he joined MTTB Theatre as an amateur actor. For a short time, he worked at Arena, Gen-Ar and Ulvi Uraz Theatre. With some friends, he founded the Devekusu Kabare Theatre (Ostrich Cabaret Theatre).

From 1973, he started acting in films and gained fame as a comedian paired with Metin Akpinar like Salak Milyoner, Bes Milyoncuk Borç Verir misin, Köyden Indim Sehire, Güler misin Aglar misin, Nerden Çikti Bu Velet, Nereye Bakiyor Bu Adamlar, Hasip ile Nasip and Güle Güle. In 1977, he also took up directing and went on to direct films such as Aslan Bacanak, Sivri Akillilar, Caferin Çilesi, Petrol Krallari, Doktor, Köse Kapmaca, Vay Basimiza Gelenler and Elveda Dostum.

Alasya died on 8 May 2015 in the hospital, where he had been receiving treatment for liver disease. He was 72. He was laid to rest in Zincirlikuyu Cemetery following the religious funeral service held at Levent Mosque.

Halit Akcatepe was a Turkish actor. Akcatepe was born in Üsküdar in 1938, the son of Sitki Akcatepe. In 1943, he made his debut in the film "Dertli Pinar" at the age of 5 and made more appearances in other films in some child roles. Akcatepe completed his studies in Saint Benoit French High School. In 1956. he joined the army and stayed there for 1,5 years before returning to acting. Akcatepe became a household name for his parts in "Ah Nerede Vah Nerede" in 1960 and the films "Yasak", "Gundogarken" and "Semaya baktim Seni Gordum" in 1963. In 1975, he acted in "Hababam Sinifi" and then later its sequels "Hababam Sinifi Sinifta Kaldi", "Hababam Sinifi Dokuz Doguruyor" and "Hababam Sinifi Tatilde".