Kemal Sunal facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kemal Sunal
Born	Ali Kemal Sunal (1944-11-11)11 November 1944 İstanbul, Turkey
Died	3 July 2000(2000-07-03) (aged 55) Istanbul, Turkey
Resting place	Zincirlikuyu Cemetery, Şişli, Istanbul
Education	Marmara University
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1964–2000
Spouse(s)	Gül Sunal ​ (m. 1975)​
Children	Ali Sunal Ezo Sunal
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Ali Kemal Sunal (born November 11, 1944 – died July 3, 2000) was a very famous Turkish actor and comedian. He was loved by many for his funny movies and special characters. He became super popular with films like Hababam Sınıfı (The Outrageous Class), Kapıcılar Kralı (King of Doormen), and Davaro. People especially knew him for playing the character "Şaban" in many of his movies.

Kemal Sunal's Acting Journey

Kemal Sunal started his acting career at a young age after finishing Vefa Lisesi. He began with small roles in different theaters. He worked at the Kenterler Theatre and later at the Devekuşu Kabare Theatre.

People quickly saw how talented he was. Soon, he started getting offers for bigger movies with famous actors. His first important role was in the film "Tatlı Dillim", directed by Ertem Eğilmez. In just a few years, Sunal acted alongside other big stars like Halit Akçatepe, Şener Şen, and Münir Özkul.

The Famous Şaban Character

One of his most famous roles was "Şaban" in Hababam Sınıfı (The Outrageous Class). His friends in the movie often called him İnek (Cow) Şaban. This character was often teased by his friends, but he was always full of wild ideas. For example, he once tried to dig a tunnel to escape school, but it led to the vice-principal’s office! The character of Şaban was so special that no other actor has played him in newer versions of Hababam Sınıfı. This shows how much respect people have for Kemal Sunal.

He also played many other memorable characters, such as:

• Tosun Pasha
• Süt Kardeş Şaban
• Çöpçüler Kralı (King of Doormen), a street cleaner who falls in love
• Doktor Civanım, a former hospital janitor who pretends to be a doctor
• "Orta Direk Şaban", a simple man who tries to become an athlete to impress someone.

Movies Showing Real Life

His movies were popular not just because they were funny, but also because they showed the real problems faced by poor people in Turkey during the 1970s and 1980s. In almost all his films, Kemal Sunal played a poor man trying to make a living. This made his characters relatable to many people.

His last film was Propaganda, directed by Sinan Çetin. In this movie, Sunal played a customs officer near the Syrian border. This film was a serious drama, very different from his usual comedies. It showed his character struggling between his duties as an officer and his loyalty to his friends. His son, Ali Sunal, also acted in this film as a junior customs officer.

Kemal Sunal's Private Life

Kemal Sunal was a very private person. He kept his family away from the media and rarely appeared in public. People who knew him said he was quite serious in real life, which was a big contrast to the funny characters he played in his movies.

Going Back to University

Even when he was at the peak of his acting career, he decided to go back and finish university. He had stopped his studies earlier in life. Despite being famous, he attended university like any other student. He said he liked it that way.

His dream of getting a higher education was put on hold for a while, especially during a military takeover in 1980. But he finally earned his bachelor’s degree in Radio Television and Cinema Studies from Marmara University in 1995. He then decided to get a master’s degree in 1998, also from Marmara University. His master's thesis was even about himself!

The media found this very interesting, with headlines like "İnek Şaban Master Yaptı" (Şaban the Geek got a master's degree). His old "classmates" from Hababam Sınıfı even joked, "We expect full professorship!" At his graduation, he joked that going to university later in life was better because it allowed him to gain real-life experience first.

Sad Passing of Kemal Sunal

Kemal Sunal passed away on July 3, 2000. He had a sudden heart attack on a flight to Trabzon, just before the plane took off. It was known that he was afraid of flying. His death made the whole country very sad and was big news for many days. He was buried at the Zincirlikuyu Cemetery in Istanbul.

Kemal Sunal and his wife, Gül Sunal (born in 1957), had two children: Ali Sunal (born in 1977) and Ezo Sunal (born in 1985).

Kemal Sunal's Movies

Here are some of the movies Kemal Sunal acted in:

Television Shows

Awards and Honors

Kemal Sunal won several awards for his amazing acting:

• 1977: Best Actor award at the 14th Antalya Film Festival for Kapıcılar Kralı.
• 1998: Lifetime honorary award at the 35th Antalya Film Festival.
• 1989: Best Actor award at the 2nd Ankara Film Festival for Düttürü Dünya.

Books About Kemal Sunal

See Also

• Şener Şen
• Nazan Saatci, from the movie Tokatçı (1983)