#allmen

ALL MEN MAGAZINE (FEBRUARY) INTERVIEW TRANSLATION

How was your involvement in the project “Kardeş Çocukları”?

We had a meeting with Gold Film at the beginning of last summer before I went to America. We had actually come across many times for three years and wanted to work together, but we didn’t have the opportunity. It happened this year. I feel very lucky in that sense. I loved the script when I first read it, because each character has a depth, a story and a conflict. It’s very critical, because it gives us a lot of materials to maintain the flow of the story and not let the story get stuck somewhere. Our scriptwriter really knows her craft well. Dialogues are meticulously and carefully written. You can see it very clearly when you read them. When we had our first meeting, the scriptwriter was also there. I asked the questions in my mind and she explained the character, story and her thoughts with me. She even told me a scene from the 20th episode. It’s something very valuable and efficient and gave me extra assurance. Because during the course of filming, it can be very tiring for scriptwriters to find new stories. I don’t think our story will get stuck. I was also very excited when I saw the cast and found out that the director is Faruk Teber. This is how we started our journey. It’s a very good project, I hope our viewers like it too. It’s up to their discretion.

Can you tell us what the character Volkan is like?

Volkan’s most interesting characteristic is that he’s totally a hedonist. He makes fun of life, is fond of his own pleasure and is full of himself. And all of this is a mask that he wears as a result of a trauma he had at a young age. He’s talking to everyone behind that mask. Although he’s a fun guy, he’s actually not truly open to anyone. He’s the stepson of the house and family. He’s an architect, studied abroad and has an active social life. He has his secrets and mysteries. I love that while the general story has a sad and serious tone, the character Volkan adds a nice color to the story and breaks the seriousness. 

What attracts you in your character when you accept a project?

I try to make sure that it’s a new character, one that I haven’t played before and that it’s a strong character. While preparing for a character, you have to know everything about it. You also have to create the information that wasn’t given to you, by adhering to the general outline of the character’s story. Every character that I’ve played so far has become like my friends whom I know very well. And they helped me experience new things. I also think that always trying the new and difficult will be educational for the actors.

Do you think that addressing violence against women on TV raises awareness in people?

We’re in show business and our job is, by its nature, to be in the public eye. I think it has a real impact on the public. That’s why we shouldn’t underestimate the power of messages we give. It’s a conscious and appropriate idea to address a sensitive topic like violence against women on TV, in my opinion. We can create a perception by drawing people’s attention with the right messages.  Recent regulations also support this. I hope that we can make great improvements in fighting violence against women. It’s an action that cannot be considered legitimate under any circumstances. We must always react to it.    

Among all of your projects, is there a project that you think opened a new path for you?

Of course every project opens a new and different path for you. The doors opened to you through every one of them are very valuable. I can say that I started a fun romantic comedy adventure and journey after “Kaçak Gelinler”. This project included me in the world of romantic comedies.

What do you do when you are all alone?

I’m actually a very sociable person, I have a lot of friends. Most of them are from my childhood. Even when I work long hours, it feels good to spare 1-2 hours to them and talk about my day or the topics we couldn’t talk about recently. This even feels like meditation to me. But later, as a person spends more time alone, he rediscovers himself. Lately, I spare more time to myself. I read and paint. I’ve been working on a script. In fact, I’m trying to be productive like this recently. 

Is there a characteristic of you that we don’t know about?

I make very good omelette!

We always talk about the harmful side of social media. But very fast aid campaigns are organized and we have quick access to the news through it. What’s your point of view about this new way of communication?

Social media is really a subject that can be discussed forever. It’s a world of communication that has both plus and minus sides and we are all a part of it. Yes, its pluses beside its minuses can’t be denied. We can have amazing access to people in social responsibility projects and campaigns. I witnessed its powerful impact in some campaigns that I was involved in too. We had access to a great number of people. Also, people can share their ideas, show their reactions and have their voices heard. But this has its unpleasant sides too. People don’t share their opinions with their real names. They open fake accounts and use other people’s photos. This makes it feel unreal. But for me, the most important criteria of communication is sincerity. This is why I think people should go out more often and have more eye contact with other people. Similarly, we shouldn’t be too attracted to the tempting effect of social media. I don’t think this would be good for us.

How well do you do sports? Do you think that the new generation confuses healthy lifestyle with exercise obsession?

I’ve been doing sports for as long as I can remember, actually. I played basketball as a licensed player for 10 years. I’m interested in thai boxing and crossfit in recent years. I believe that it’s a lifestyle, rather than an obsession. Doing exercise is a physical and mental gain. Exercise is a part of healthy lifestyle, but it isn’t enough by itself. We also can’t say that a person who does exercise is living healthily. As in everything, obsession wouldn’t give good results in sports either. Unwanted problems may occur. It’s good to be careful.  

Will we be able to see you in a movie?

I really want to take part in a movie. But I have this TV series project this year, so I don’t think I will have the time. I hope we can meet in a good movie next year.  

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