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Nihat Haluk Bilginer (; born 5 June 1954) is a Turkish actor. In addition to his acting career in Turkey, he has also worked in the United Kingdom and remains best known for his role as
Mehmet Osman Mehmet Osman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Haluk Bilginer. Mehmet is portrayed as a charmer, rogue and a serial womaniser, and makes recurring appearances in ''EastEnders'' from 1985 to 1987, and the ...
in the television soap opera ''
EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...
'' during the 1980s. He has also starred in
Hollywood movie The cinema of the United States, consisting mainly of major film studios (also known as Hollywood) along with some independent film, has had a large effect on the global film industry since the early 20th century. The dominant style of Am ...
s as a minor actor. He played a villainous guerrilla leader in the 1987
comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...
''
Ishtar Inanna, also sux, 𒀭𒊩𒌆𒀭𒈾, nin-an-na, label=none is an ancient Mesopotamian goddess of love, war, and fertility. She is also associated with beauty, sex, divine justice, and political power. She was originally worshiped in S ...
'' and a Turkish Mafioso in the 2001
dark comedy Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discus ...
film ''
Buffalo Soldiers Buffalo Soldiers originally were members of the 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on September 21, 1866, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. This nickname was given to the Black Cavalry by Native American tribes who fought in t ...
''. For his role in '' Şahsiyet'' (2018), Bilginer won the Best Actor award at the 47th International Emmy Awards.


Life and career

Bilginer was born in
İzmir İzmir ( , ; ), also spelled Izmir, is a metropolitan city in the western extremity of Anatolia, capital of the province of the same name. It is the third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara and the second largest urban agglo ...
, Turkey. He graduated from the
Ankara State Conservatory The Hacettepe University Ankara State Conservatory ( tr, Hacettepe Üniversitesi Ankara Devlet Konservatuvarı), the first conservatory to be founded in the Republic of Turkey, was established in 1936 by a directive of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. ...
in 1977 before going to England where he graduated from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He landed his first role in the long running UK soap opera ''
EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...
''.


''EastEnders'' (1985–1989)

Bilginer made his first appearance in ''
EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...
'' as
Mehmet Osman Mehmet Osman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Haluk Bilginer. Mehmet is portrayed as a charmer, rogue and a serial womaniser, and makes recurring appearances in ''EastEnders'' from 1985 to 1987, and the ...
on-screen in June 1985, four months after the show originally aired. His arrival coincides with a cot death storyline of Sue and Ali's baby, Hassan. Mehmet appears as a recurring character from 1985 to 1987, setting up a cab firm named Ozcabs from inside Ali's café; however, he becomes a regular in 1988, when both he and his wife Guizin (Ishia Bennison) are made partners in Ali's café, which is renamed Café Osman. Described as "the Terrible Turk", Haluk Bilginer was one of the more popular male cast members on ''EastEnders'' during the 1980s, and he reportedly received sackfuls of fan mail, "despite playing a villain and a womanising snake". Hilary Kingsley has said that what made the character so popular was Bilginer's
Omar Sharif Omar Sharif ( ar, عمر الشريف ; born Michel Yusef Dimitri Chalhoub , 10 April 193210 July 2015) was an Egyptian actor, generally regarded as one of his country's greatest male film stars. He began his career in his native country in the ...
-style good looks and charm. Following the departure of Holland and Smith, Mehmet was eventually written out of the serial in May 1989, in a storyline that signified the disbandment of the Osman family. On-screen, Mehmet returns to his native Cyprus after a fight with Guizin regarding her suspicions about Mehmet's fabricated affair with Sue. The Osman family were among many characters to leave the serial that year. Writer Colin Brake has commented, "the pace of comings and going was fast and furious during 1989, as the programme tried to find a new direction." Bilginer went into musical theatre after leaving ''EastEnders'' starring in Ken Hill's popular musical adaptation of the Guy de Maupassant novel The Wicked World of Bel-Ami at the Theatre Royal Stratford East, working with Fiona Hendley, Toni Palmer, Peter Straker and Colin Atkins.


After ''EastEnders''

During the course of the show, he came to Turkey to star in the 1987 TV series ''Gecenin Öteki Yüzü'' (The Other Side of the Night), where he met his eventual first wife
Zuhal Olcay Zuhal Olcay (; born 10 August 1957) is a Turkish actress and singer. Biography Graduated from Ankara State Conservatory in 1976, she first started as a stage actress. Since 1983 she also started acting in films and became famous with films like ...
, famous Turkish actress and singer. After dividing his time in London and Istanbul for six years, he left the show to stay in Turkey permanently and married Olcay in 1992. He guest starred in an episode of ''
Young Indiana Jones ''The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles'' is an American television series that aired on ABC from March 4, 1992, to July 24, 1993. Filming took place in various locations around the world, with "Old Indy" bookend segments filmed in Wilmington, Nort ...
'' as
İsmet İnönü Mustafa İsmet İnönü (; 24 September 1884 – 25 December 1973) was a Turkish army officer and statesman of Kurdish descent, who served as the second President of Turkey from 11 November 1938 to 22 May 1950, and its Prime Minister three tim ...
, and went on to star in the Yavuz Özkan film "''İki Kadın''" (Two Women). He then starred in various movies including the controversial ''Istanbul Kanatlarımın Altında'' (Istanbul Under My Wings) and the famous ''Usta Beni Öldürsene'' (Master, Kill Me). After critical acclaim for these roles, he earned his first award as a supporting actor in '' Masumiyet'' (Innocence). After deciding he wants to pursue career on stage, he founded "Tiyatro Stüdyosu" (Theatre Studio) with his wife Zuhal Olcay and Ahmet Levendoğlu in 1990. After starring in various plays for six years, he had to return to screen in 1996 because of a fire that has destroyed the theater. He and his wife starred in television and movies to raise money to found another theater. During this era, he starred in ''Eyvah Kızım Büyüdü'' (Oh My, My Daughter Has Grown), starting his second era in television. After years of work, he and his wife managed to start a second theater, called "Oyun Atölyesi" (Play Workshop). His most famous role however came after he started his second theater. He landed a role in ''Tatlı Hayat'', a remake of ''
The Jeffersons ''The Jeffersons'' is an American sitcom television series that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, to July 2, 1985, lasting 11 seasons and a total of 253 episodes. ''The Jeffersons'' is one of the longest-running sitcoms in history, ...
''. He played the role of İhsan Yıldırım, an angry, racist and foul-mouthed, yet lovable dry cleaner. He was accompanied by legendary actress
Türkan Şoray Türkan Şoray (; born 28 June 1945) is a Turkish actress, writer and film director of Circassian origin. She is known as "Sultan" of the Cinema of Turkey. She started her career in 1960, and won her first award as the most successful actress a ...
, who played his wife, Asuman Dabak playing the witty cleaner, Neco playing the Greek neighbor (The enmity between Greeks and Turks were put instead of the Black-White one in the original) and
Çolpan İlhan Çolpan İlhan (8 August 1936 – 25 July 2014) was a Turkish cinema and theatre actress. In 1998 she was awarded the title of State Artist of Turkey. She acted in more than 300 films and theater plays. First years İlhan received her sec ...
playing Neco's wife. He and the show's breakthrough character İrfan (played by Celal Kadri Kınoğlu) are regarded as the best characters in Turkish TV history. He divorced Zuhal Olcay in 2004 and began a relationship with
Aşkın Nur Yengi Aşkın Nur Yengi (born 3 July 1970) is a Turkish singer and actress. With her debut album Sevgiliye in 1990 she became one of the most successful Turkish singers of the '90s. Personal life Yengi married Haluk Bilginer in 2006 and they have ...
, a famous Turkish singer. They married in 2006 and had a girl. After ''Tatlı Hayat'', he starred in ''Neredesin Firuze'' (Where Are You Firuze?), ''Hırsız Var'' (Thief!) and ''Hacivat Karagöz Neden Öldürüldü?'' (Why Were Hacivat&Karagöz Murdered?). His most recent role in ''Polis'' (Police) however, is his most critically acclaimed role after ''Tatlı Hayat''. His portrayal of the troubled police legend Musa Rami has gained critical acclaim from both critics and viewers, who thought the movie was too experimental. Bilginer, however, has said that he will work in all of
Onur Ünlü Onur Ünlü (born 24 June 1973) is a Turkish film director, screenwriter, poet and actor. Filmography Awards * Golden Orange Award for Best Screenplay (2009) * Golden Orange Award for Best Screenplay (2014) References External links * ...
's (screenwriter and director of Polis) movies, even as an extra if required. Bilginer played the role of
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, or Mustafa Kemal Pasha until 1921, and Ghazi Mustafa Kemal from 1921 Surname Law (Turkey), until 1934 ( 1881 – 10 November 1938) was a Turkish Mareşal (Turkey), field marshal, Turkish National Movement, re ...
in an İş Bank commercial, which first aired on 10 November 2007 during the 69th commemorations of Atatürk's death. Bilginer co-starred in the 2009 American thriller '' The International'' as Ahmet Sunay, a Turkish high-tech missile guidance system dealer. He was accompanied by
Clive Owen Clive Owen (born 3 October 1964) is an English actor. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for playing the lead role in the ITV series '' Chancer'' from 1990 to 1991. He received critical acclaim for his work in the film '' Close ...
and
Naomi Watts Naomi Ellen Watts (born 28 September 1968) is a British actress. After her family moved to Australia, she made her film debut there in the drama '' For Love Alone'' (1986) and then appeared in three television series, '' Hey Dad..!'' (1990), '' ...
in this movie. Bilginer plays Aydin, an imposing grey-haired former actor, in '' Winter Sleep'', which won the
Palme d'Or The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...
at the Cannes Film Festival in 2014. In 2018, Bilginer played Dr. Ranbir Sartain, the new psychiatrist of Michael Myers, in the slasher sequel ''
Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...
'', and starred in the TV series '' Şahsiyet'', playing a retired court clerk who is diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. The latter role won him an International Emmy Award for Best Actor. In 2020, he played the lead villain Dr Greif in the first season of the hit
Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming and rental service of Amazon offered as a standalone service or as part of Amazon's Prime subscription. The service pr ...
series ''
Alex Rider ''Alex Rider'' is a series of spy novels written by British author Anthony Horowitz. The novels revolve around a teenage spy named Alex Rider and is primarily aimed towards young adults. The series currently comprises thirteen novels, as we ...
'', based on the bestselling novels by
Anthony Horowitz Anthony John Horowitz, (born 5 April 1955) is an English novelist and screenwriter specialising in mystery and suspense. His works for children and young adult readers include ''The Diamond Brothers'' series, the ''Alex Rider'' series, and ''T ...
. In 2022, it was announced that Bilginer would star as
Barbara Nadel Barbara Nadel is an English crime-writer. Many of her books are set in Turkey, others in London's East End of London, East End. She is best known for her Istanbul-set Çetin İkmen novels. Background Born in the East End of London, Barbara Nadel ...
's fictional Istanbul detective Çetin İkmen, in the
Paramount+ Paramount+ is an American subscription video on-demand service owned by Paramount Global. The service's content is drawn primarily from the libraries of CBS Media Ventures (including CBS Studios), Paramount Media Networks (formerly Viacom Media ...
series ''The Turkish Detective''.


Personal life

In 1987, Bilginer traveled to İstanbul to film the TV series ''Gecenin Öteki Yüzü ''(The Other Side of the Night), where he met actress/singer
Zuhal Olcay Zuhal Olcay (; born 10 August 1957) is a Turkish actress and singer. Biography Graduated from Ankara State Conservatory in 1976, she first started as a stage actress. Since 1983 she also started acting in films and became famous with films like ...
; they married in 1992 and divorced in 2004. He married
Aşkın Nur Yengi Aşkın Nur Yengi (born 3 July 1970) is a Turkish singer and actress. With her debut album Sevgiliye in 1990 she became one of the most successful Turkish singers of the '90s. Personal life Yengi married Haluk Bilginer in 2006 and they have ...
in 2006 and has a daughter from this marriage; they divorced in 2012.


Filmography


Films


TV series


Awards

* 47th International Emmy Awards, 2019


References


External links


''Biography of Haluk Bilginer''
- Biyografi.info
''Filmography of Haluk Bilginer''
- Sinematurk.com * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bilginer, Haluk 1954 births Best Actor Golden Boll Award winners Best Supporting Actor Golden Orange Award winners Golden Butterfly Award winners Living people Actors from İzmir Turkish male stage actors Turkish male film actors Turkish male television actors Turkish game show hosts Alumni of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art Turkish male soap opera actors International Emmy Award for Best Actor winners