Sibel Kekilli facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sibel Kekilli
Kekilli at the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival
Born	(1980-06-16) 16 June 1980 (age 45) Heilbronn, West Germany
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2001–present

Sibel Kekilli (born on June 16, 1980) is a German actress. She became well-known after starring in the 2004 film Head-On. She won two Lolas, which are Germany's top film awards, for her roles in Head-On and When We Leave (2010). Starting in 2011, she became even more famous for playing Shae in the HBO TV series Game of Thrones.

Early Life and Education

Sibel Kekilli grew up in Heilbronn, Germany. Her family came from Turkey in 1977. Sibel described her parents as having modern and open ideas. She finished school with great grades when she was 16.

After school, she joined a program to become a certified public administration specialist. This training lasted 30 months. She then worked for two more years at Heilbronn city hall. Later, she moved to Essen and worked in different jobs, including as a bouncer, cleaner, waitress, and saleswoman.

Acting Career Highlights

Kekilli at the 2012 Berlin International Film Festival

In 2002, a casting director discovered Sibel Kekilli at a shopping mall in Cologne. She was invited to try out for a film role. She won the main part in Head-On (German: Gegen die Wand), beating 350 other people.

The film came out in 2004 and was a big hit. It won many awards at film festivals. Filming was tough for Sibel, and she even had an operation during filming in Turkey. For her role in Head-On, she received the 2004 Bambi prize for "best shooting star."

Notable Film Roles

Kekilli starred in the Turkish film Home Coming (Eve Dönüş) in 2006. She played the wife of a man who was wrongly put in prison. Her acting earned her the Best Actress award at the 2006 Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival.

In the same year, she played a Jewish woman traveling to the Auschwitz concentration camp in the film The Last Train (German: Der letzte Zug). In 2009, she played Umay in When We Leave (Die Fremde). Umay is a young Turkish woman who leaves Istanbul to go back to her family in Berlin. Sibel won the Lola for Best Actress in 2010 for this role.

Television Success

In 2010, Sibel Kekilli was cast as Shae in HBO's Game of Thrones. This popular series is based on George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire books.

In 2011, she joined the long-running crime series Tatort as a permanent cast member. She played a new investigator named Sarah Brandt. She was happy to play a character who was not of foreign descent, as she felt she had been given similar roles before. She left Tatort in 2017 after 14 episodes, wanting a change.

Personal Life

Sibel Kekilli lives in Hamburg, Germany.

She was born with Turkish citizenship because in Germany, citizenship is often passed down from parents, not just given to those born in the country. She had to apply to the Turkish government when she was planning to get married.

Advocacy and Activism

Sibel Kekilli actively supports the organization Terre des Femmes. This group works to stop violence against women.

In December 2006, at an event against domestic violence in Berlin, she spoke about her experiences. She said that in some families, physical and emotional abuse can be seen as normal.

In March 2015, Sibel gave a speech about violence against women done in the name of honor. This speech was given at the President of Germany's home, Schloss Bellevue. Her speech received a lot of attention and praise in Germany for its powerful message. In May 2015, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation honored her as "Author of Freedom" for this speech.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Awards and Recognition

• 2004 Lola for Best Actress in Head-On
• 2004 Bambi for Best "Shooting Star" in Head-On
• 2006 Golden Orange Prize for Best Actress in Home Coming
• 2010 Lola for Best Actress in When We Leave
• 2010 Tribeca Prize for Best Actress in When We Leave

See also

In Spanish: Sibel Kekilli para niños