Gazanfer Özcan

Gazanfer Özcan — Biography

Saim Gazanfer Özcan was born on 27 January 1931 in Istanbul and died there on 17 February 2009. While at Vefa High School he discovered theatre playing Bican Efendi in "Hisse-i Şayia," joined the children's section of the Istanbul City Theatres, and won a permanent place in the company in 1955 after stepping in for an ailing lead in the play Mahallenin Romanı. In 1962 he married actress Gönül Ülkü and the couple founded their own theatre company together.

He began his film career in 1953 with Çeto Salak Milyoner, went on to appear in well over a hundred films and series, and also dubbed voices for various Turkish films; he was named a State Artist in 1998. He became widely known for playing Hüsnü Kuruntu in Kuruntu Ailesi and Tahsin Sütçüoğlu in Avrupa Yakası, returned to cinema with Komser Şekspir in 2000, and made one of his last films, Beyaz Melek, in 2007.

He died at 78 in Istanbul's American Hospital after a month and a half of treatment for chronic lung disease and vascular blockage, and was buried at Karacaahmet Cemetery; a stage in Kadıköy was named after him in 2010. His grandson, actor Tarık Ündüz, has spoken publicly about following in his footsteps into acting.