Birol Ünel facts for kids

Birol Ünel (born August 18, 1961 – died September 3, 2020) was an actor from Turkey who also lived in Germany. He acted in many German and Turkish films, TV shows, and plays. He was most famous for his role as Cahit Tomruk in the 2004 movie Head-On. For this role, he won the German film prize for Best Actor.

Who Was Birol Ünel?

Birol Ünel was born in Silifke, a town in southern Turkey. In 1968, when he was seven years old, his family moved to Brinkum, a town near Bremen in Germany. He later studied acting at a special school called the Musikhochschule Hannover.

Becoming an Actor

Ünel started his acting career in the theater. He worked at the Kunsthaus Tacheles in Berlin. There, he acted in and directed a play called Caligula.

His first movie role was in 1988, in a film called The Passenger. He then played a private detective in the movie Dealer [de] in 1999. After that, he worked with director Fatih Akin in the movie In July.

Famous Roles and Awards

Birol Ünel became very well-known for his role as Cahit Tomruk in Fatih Akin's film Head-On. This movie was also known as Gegen die Wand. It won the Golden Bear award at the Berlinale film festival in 2004. This award is one of the biggest honors in the film world. His performance in Head-On also earned him the German film prize for Best Actor. This made him famous around the world.

Later Films and Legacy

In 2005, Ünel acted in a popular Turkish movie called Hırsız var!. He continued to act in other films, including Transylvania in 2006. He also appeared in Seven Heroes and Soul Kitchen in 2009.

Birol Ünel passed away in a hospital in Berlin on September 3, 2020. He was 59 years old and had been sick for some time. He is remembered for his powerful acting roles in both German and Turkish cinema.

See also

In Spanish: Birol Ünel para niños