Erol Taş

Erol Taş — Biography

Sources give Erol Taş's birth year as either 1926 or 1928; he was born in Erzurum, one of seven children, and according to his daughter the family's roots lay in the Patnos district of Ağrı. After his father died when he was two, he moved to Istanbul with his mother, left school to work as a porter and shop clerk, and took up boxing, finishing runner-up at the 1947 Istanbul and Turkey championships. After military service he was working at a thread factory in Cankurtaran when, following an incident in which he helped protect a film crew led by director Lütfi Akad, he was offered a part and made his screen debut in the 1957 film Acı Günler.

He quickly became one of Yeşilçam's best-known screen villains, and his portrayal of hostile characters at times drew hostile reactions from audiences; his best-remembered film is Susuz Yaz (1964), directed by Metin Erksan, which won the Golden Bear at the 14th Berlin International Film Festival. He won Best Supporting Actor honours at festivals including Acapulco and the Golden Orange on several occasions, and received a lifetime achievement award at the 7th Golden Boll festival in 1993.

He had twins with his first wife, Hafize Taş, and after her death in 1965 he married Elmas Erşan, with whom he had a daughter; for many years he also ran a coffeehouse in Cankurtaran. His left leg was amputated in December 1996 due to diabetes, and he died of a heart attack in Istanbul on 8 November 1998, and was buried at Topkapı Cemetery.