MUnir Ozkul

Münir Özkul was a Turkish theater and cinema actor who was awarded the title of "State Artist of Turkey" by the Turkish Ministry of Culture. He started his acting career in the Bakırköy Halkevi theater in 1940, and later worked in the Ankara State Theater and Istanbul Şehir Theater. He became famous for his role in Muhsin Ertuğrul's Fareler ve İnsanlar (Mice and Men). From the 1950s onwards, he became a prolific film actor associated with Yeşilçam, the Turkish film industry. He appeared in many comedies directed by Ertem Eğilmez, such as Hababam Sınıfı, Şabanoğlu Şaban, Mavi Boncuk, Banker Bilo and Namuslu. In many of these films, he was paired with the actress Adile Naşit, and they became one of the most popular comedy duos in Turkish cinema. He also starred in other films such as Edi ile Büdü, Halıcı Kız, Kalbimin Şarkısı, Miras Uğruna, Balıkçı Güzeli, Neşeli Günler, Gülen Yüzler, Gırgıriye, Görgüsüzler, Bizim Aile and Aile Şerefi. He created many memorable characters, such as Yaşar Usta, Turşucu Yaşar, Kel Mahmut and Tomas Fasulyeciyan. He also acted in several television series, such as Uzaylı Zekiye, Ana Kuzusu and Şaban ile Şirin. He was a versatile actor who could play both serious and comic roles, and he was admired by audiences of all ages. He won many awards for his acting, such as the Golden Orange Award for Best Actor in 1972 for his performance in Sev Kardeşim. He also received the symbolic kavuk, a traditional Turkish hat worn by comedians, from İsmail Dümbüllü, the legendary Turkish meddah. He was married four times and had three children. His second wife was actress Suna Selen. He struggled with alcoholism for a number of years but stopped drinking completely in the 1990s. He suffered from dementia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease since 2003. In the years before his death, he used to think that many people whom he knew in the past were still alive. On 5 January 2018, he died at his home in Cihangir, Beyoğlu, at the age of 92. After his funeral prayers were performed at Teşvikiye Mosque, his body was buried in Bakırköy Cemetery.