Başak Gümülcinelioğlu

Başak Gümülcinelioğlu — Biography

Başak Gümülcinelioğlu was born on 22 October 1991 in the Fatih district of Istanbul, into a Turkish family that had left Komotini after it passed to Greece following the Ottoman collapse. After finishing Bahçelievler Anatolian High School, she spent a scholarship year at a high school in Kansas, where she first became interested in musical theatre. Back in Turkey, she studied architecture at Bahçeşehir University, took a master's in architectural design at Istanbul Technical University, and worked briefly at an architecture office.

While completing her graduate studies she trained in acting, first at the Müjdat Gezen Art Center and then at LAMDA in London. She spent years performing at the Istanbul Folk Theatre and BKM Theatre, and translated an English play into Turkish. She made her television debut in Erkenci Kuş and became widely known for playing Pırıl in Sen Çal Kapımı, for which a song she co-wrote won a music award; she went on to appear in productions such as Sipahi, Kül Masalı and Aşkı Hatırla.

She married her co-star Çağrı Çıtanak in 2022, and the couple's son Devin was born in 2025. She returned to screens in 2026 in the series Çirkin, and drew public attention around the same time by pushing back openly against criticism of her post-pregnancy appearance.