Türkan Şoray facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Türkan Şoray
Şoray in 2013
Born	(1945-06-28) 28 June 1945 (age 80) Eyüp, Istanbul, Turkey
Nationality	Turkish
Occupation	Film actress and director
Years active	1960–present
Spouse(s)	Cihan Ünal ​ ​ (m. 1983; div. 1987)​
Children	1
Relatives	Nazan Şoray (sister)
Awards	Golden Orange for Best Actress (1964, 1968, 1987, 1994) Golden Boll for Best Actress (1972) Golden Orange for Life Achievement (1996)
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Türkan Şoray was born on June 28, 1945. She is a famous Turkish actress and film director. People often call her "Sultan" of Turkish Cinema. She started her acting career in 1960.

Şoray won her first award for best actress in 1964. This was at the 1st Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival for her role in the movie Acı Hayat. She has acted in over 222 films. This means she has starred in more movies than any other female actress worldwide.

In 2010, Şoray became a UNICEF goodwill ambassador for Turkey. She believes that love can solve many problems. She said, "If we combine power with love, we can overcome many problems."

Türkan Şoray is seen as one of the four most important actresses in Turkish cinema. The others are Hülya Koçyiğit, Filiz Akın, and Fatma Girik. These actresses represent a special time in Turkish movies. Şoray is the only one among them who also directed films. She directed movies like Dönüş (1972) and Uzaklarda Arama (2015). She also acted with Kadir İnanır in many popular films.

Early Life and First Steps in Cinema

Şoray was born in Eyüp, Istanbul. She was the first child in her family. Her father had Circassian roots. Her mother's father was a Turkish immigrant from Thessaloniki.

Her sister, Nazan Şoray, is also a singer and actress.

When she was a student, Şoray visited a movie set. An actor named Emel Yıldız was there. With encouragement from Türker İnanoğlu, Şoray decided to try acting.

Şoray remembers how she started her film career:

"A movie set came to our neighborhood before I entered the cinema industry. They were gonna shoot a set of the movie in our neighborhood. When I saw the actress starring in the movie, I said, 'What a beautiful woman.' That woman was Muhterem Nur. I was looking so confused and a man came up to me and asked 'You want to play in the movie?' I was scared and I just ran home. I learned later that this man was Memduh Ün. At that time I had escaped from the film set, but then the film sets became part of my life.”

A Look at Her Career

Gürdal Duyar's sculpture of Şoray at the Artists' Park in Akatlar, Istanbul

Türkan Şoray's first movie was Köyde Bir Kız Sevdim in 1960. She starred with Baki Tamer.

She won her first Golden Orange award in 1964. This was for her role in Acı Hayat. She played Nermin in the film, which was directed by Metin Erksan. In 1968, she won her second Golden Orange award. This was for her work in the movie Vesikalı Yarim.

At the Istanbul Film Festival, Şoray talked about working with director Lütfi Akad. She said:

"It is a very miraculous thing for me to have worked with Lütfi Akad, a director whose placed won't be filled easily in Turkish cinema. 'Turkan, you play with your eyes,' he used to say. Lütfi Akad taught me to play with my eyes."

—Türkan Şoray, 2013 (Istanbul Film Festival)

Later Career Highlights

Şoray continued to work with important directors. One of them was Atıf Yılmaz. She made both serious dramas and funny comedies with him. In the 1970s, she also acted in movies that showed real-life issues. During these years, she directed four of her own films.

Some of her most popular films in the 1970s include Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalım, Hazal, Sultan, Dönüş, and Baraj. She often acted alongside the famous Turkish actor Kadir İnanır in these movies.

Awards and Recognition

Portrait of Türkan Şoray in a cafe in Turkey.

Türkan Şoray has won many awards throughout her career. Her first award was the best actress prize. She received it at the 'Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival' for the film Acı Hayat (Bitter Life).

By the end of the 1960s, she was known as one of the four greatest actresses in Turkish cinema. People praised her for choosing different types of roles. She was also known for her strong acting skills. She won her second Best Actress Award at the Antalya Film Festival for Vesikalı Yarim.

In the 1980s, she started playing women dealing with identity issues. These roles were in films like Mine, Rumuz Goncagül, and On Kadın. She won her third Best Actress Award from the Antalya Film Festival in 1987. This was for the film Hayallerim, Aşkım ve Sen. In this movie, she played three different women. Each character showed a part of Türkan Şoray herself.

Some of her notable awards include:

• Antalya Film Festival Best Actress Award
  • 1964 - Acı Hayat
  • 1968 - Vesikalı Yarim
  • 1987 - Hayallerim, Aşkım ve Sen
  • 1994 - Bir Aşk Uğruna
• Moscow Film Festival Grand Jury Prize
  • 1973 - Dönüş (her first film as a director)
• Tashkent Film Festival Best Actress Award
  • 1978 - Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalım
• Bastia Film Festival Best Actress Award
  • 1992 - Soğuktu ve Yağmur Çiseliyordu
• 1996 Istanbul Film Festival, Honorary Cinema Award
• 1999 Rome Film Festival, Honorary Award

She is also a member of the Eurasian Academy.

Filmography

As an Actress

As a Director

• Dönüş – 1972
• Azap – 1973
• Bodrum Hakimi – 1976
• Yılanı Öldürseler – 1981 (with Şerif Gören)
• Uzaklarda Arama – 2015

Music Albums

• Türkan Şoray Söylüyor (2015)

Books About Her

• "Türkân Şoray, Bir Yıldız Böyle Doğdu" by Agah Özgüç, 1974.
• "Sümbül Sokağın Tutsak Kadını" by Atilla Dorsay, 1997.
• "Türkân Şoray" by Agah Özgüç, 2001.
• "Türkân Şoray ile Yüz Yüze" by Feridun Andaç, 2010.
• "50 Yıllık Aşk - Türkan Şoray" by Ercan Akarsu, 2014.
• "Sinema Emekçisi - Türkan Şoray" by Ercan Akarsu, 2015.

See also

In Spanish: Türkan Şoray para niños

• Nazan Şoray