Okan Bayülgen facts for kids

Okan Bayülgen, a well-known Turkish actor and TV host.

Okan Bayülgen is a famous Turkish actor, TV host, and director. He was born on March 23, 1964, in Istanbul, Turkey. He is also known as a comedian, photographer, and writer.

Early Life and Education

Okan Bayülgen's father was a lawyer, and his mother was a painter. He spent six years at Galatasaray High School before moving to Bodrum High School. He finished high school in 1984.

After high school, he studied law in France for a short time. Then he switched to economics. Later, he returned to Turkey and graduated from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University in 1989. He earned a master's degree there.

Career Highlights

Okan Bayülgen started his career in theater in 1989. He worked as a director and actor at State Theaters. He also acted in the American TV series "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" in 1992. In 1994, he worked at the state theater in Trabzon, but he left after a play was canceled.

He became well-known in movies with "İstanbul Kanatlarımın Altında" in 1996. In 1997, he won an award for Best Actor for his role in "Ağır Roman." He has acted in many other films and TV shows.

Theater Work

Okan Bayülgen founded his own theater called "Dada Theatre." He works there as an actor, writer, director, and producer. He has performed in famous plays like "Amadeus" and "Richard." He also wrote and directed a modern version of "Richard."

Broadcasting Career

Okan Bayülgen began his radio career in 1991, hosting his own show at Kent FM.

His first successful TV show was "Gece Kuşu" (The Night Bird) in 1995. This show made him very popular. In 1996, he started another late-night show called "Televizyon Çocuğu" (The Television Kid).

After a short break, he returned to TV with "Zaga" in 1997, which became a huge success. Later, he hosted "Televizyon Makinası" (Television Machine) from 2005 to 2006, followed by "Makina" (Machine) from 2006 to 2007.

In 2008, he started a new show called "Disko Kralı" (Disco King). He continued to host various popular late-night shows, including "Medya Kralı" (King of Media) and "Muhabbet Kralı" (King of Chat). His show "Nokta" started in 2020 and is still on TV100.

Other Talents

Besides acting and hosting, Okan Bayülgen is also a very popular voice actor in Turkey. He has lent his voice to many characters. He is also a talented photographer and has held several photo exhibitions.

Filmography

Movies

• 1996 - İstanbul Kanatlarımın Altında (Istanbul Under My Wings)
• 1997 - Ağır Roman (The Heavy Novel)
• 1999 - Romantik (Romantic)
• 2000 - Oyun Bozan (Wet Blanket)
• 2001 - Hemşo (Homie)
• 2001 - Komser Şekspir (Shakespeare the Commissar)
• 2002 - Sır Çocukları (Children of Mystery)
• 2002 - Gülüm (My Dear)
• 2006 - Sınav (The Exam)
• 2009 - Kanalizasyon (Sewage TV)

Movie Series

• 1998 - Utanmaz Adam (Shameless Man)
• 2004 - Size Baba Diyebilir miyim? (May I Call You 'Daddy'?)

Theater Plays

• 1998 - Atları da Vururlar Müzikali (actor) (They Shoot Horses, Don't They? - musical)
• 2003~2004 - Hangisi Karısı (director) (Run For Your Wife)
• 2005~2006 - Kiralık Oyun (actor) (Rented Game)

TV Shows

• Herkes Bunu Konuşuyor (Everybody is Talking This) (2004–2005, NTV)
• Haber Makinası (News Machine) (2006, CNN Türk)
• Bu Sizi İlgilendiriyor (This Interests You) (2007, NTV)
• Okan Bayülgen Sade Vatandaş (Okan Bayülgen Simple Citizen) (2008–2009, NTV)
• Çek Bakalım (Let's Shoot) (2011, ATV)

Late Night Shows

• Gece Kuşu (The Night Bird) (1994, ATV)
• Televizyon Çocuğu (The Television Kid) (1996, ATV)
• Zaga (Zaga) (1997–2005, Kanal D)
• Televizyon Makinası (Television Machine) (2005–2006, Kanal D)
• Makina (Machine) (2006–2007, Kanal D)
• Disko Kralı (King of Disco) (2008–2011, Kanal D)
  • Medya Kralı (King of Media) (2009–2011, Kanal D)
  • Muhabbet Kralı (King of Chat) (2009–2011, Kanal D; 2019–2020, TV100)
  • Kraliyet Ailesi (Royal Family) (2011–2013, TV8)
• Dada Dandinista (2014–2016, Star TV)
• Okan Bayülgen ile Uykusuzlar Kulübü (Okan Bayülgen's Sleepless Club) (2019–2020, TV100)
• Nokta (Point) (2020–present, TV100)

Photo Exhibitions

• Baobab Yolu - Madagaskar (Baobab Road - Madagascar) (2006)
• Yaşam Gücü (Life Power) (2006)
• Pudra - Zamanın Tozu (Powder - Dust of Time) (2007)
• Erkeklerin Saatlerini Takan Kadınlar (Women Wearing Men's Watches) (2008)
• Çünkü Gördüğüm En Güzel Kız Sensin (Because You're the Most Beautiful Girl I've Ever Seen) (2008)