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İzzet Günay
Photo: Wikimedia Commons · Serkan Yakın · CC BY-SA 3.0

İzzet Günay

Actor · 92 years old

Profile

Age92 years old
Birth dateAugust 21, 1934
BirthplaceÜsküdar
ProfessionActor
Zodiac signLeo

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İzzet Günay — Biography

İzzet Günay was born on 21 August 1934 in Istanbul, attended Deniz Lisesi before graduating from Haydarpaşa High School, and worked as a technical draftsman for the Istanbul municipality while also teaching dance for a time. After trading in lignite following his military service, he answered a newspaper advertisement in 1957 and joined the Dormen Theatre, making his professional stage debut in a small role in Kara Ağaçlar Altında; he moved into film in 1958 playing Zeki Müren's driver in Kırık Plak, then became a leading man with Varan Bir in 1964.

That same year he won Best Actor at the 1st Golden Orange Film Festival for Ağaçlar Ayakta Ölür, going on to appear in more than 100 films across six decades. His honours include a Lifetime Achievement award from the 39th Golden Orange in 2002, a Cinema Honour award from the Istanbul Film Festival in 2008, a shared Vesikalı Yarim honour with Türkân Şoray in 2009, a Lifetime Achievement award from the Adana Golden Boll in 2013, and the Aziz Nesin Labour Award from the Ankara Film Festival in 2017. He also worked for a period as a classical Turkish music soloist for financial reasons, and is known for running an antiques shop from 1985 for fourteen years alongside a lifelong stamp, coin and medal collection.

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Their work through different eyes

Yeşilçam Nostalgic A viewer raised on the classics, looking for warm storytelling and strong acting.

Ağaçlar Ayakta Ölür is the film that made İzzet Günay Best Actor at the first Golden Orange; adapted from Casona's play, it follows a kindly lie that keeps growing and carries old Yeşilçam's emotional measure. As Halil in Vesikalı Yarim he shows another Günay in Akad's sorrowful, plain cinematic language. Together they make a good entry into his warm, dignified side.

Cinephile Looks at script, editing and directing choices; keeps a distance from formula films.

İzzet Günay has two films with Ömer Lütfi Akad: Halil in Vesikalı Yarim and Nihat in Seninle Ölmek İstiyorum. Vesikalı Yarim is counted among the classics for its distinctive cinematic language. Günay's move from light leads that mix comedy with sentimental drama, such as Acemi Çapkın, to these films is in my view the real leap of his career.

These are not reader reviews: they are short editorial takes on this person's screen work, written from different viewer perspectives with AI assistance. Reader comments are below.

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