Emre Karayel

Emre Karayel — Biography

Emre Karayel was born on 18 October 1972 in Kadirli, Osmaniye. After Ankara Atatürk Anatolian High School he entered the economics department at Gazi University, but transferred before finishing to the theatre department at Bilkent University. After graduating in 1999 he worked at TRT as a presenter, preparing children's programs.

He began acting in 2000 with the series Ablam Böyle İstedi and became known through Bir İstanbul Masalı, Sayın Bakanım, Gümüş and Kurtlar Vadisi Pusu. His biggest fame came from the eight-season comedy 1 Kadın 1 Erkek / 1 Erkek 1 Kadın, in which he starred opposite Demet Evgar, a success continued in 1 Erkek 1 Kadın 2 Çocuk. His stage performance in Testosteron won him the 13th Afife Theatre Award for best musical or comedy actor.

He made his film debut in Onur Ünlü's Polis (2006) and appeared in Zincirbozan, Başka Dilde Aşk, Erkek Tarafı: Testosteron, Robinson Crusoe & Cuma, El Değmemiş Aşk and Düğüm Salonu. He hosted the game show Sıradaki Gelsin in 2017 and Çarkıfelek from 2018 to 2020.

A member of the Jockey Club of Turkey since 2020 with his own racehorses, he saw his horse Yiğit Kardeş win a race at Veliefendi in 2022. He is married to architect Gizem Demirci and has two children, born in 2022 and 2025.