Kenan Çoban

Kenan Çoban — Biography

Kenan Çoban is a television and film actor best known for Abdülhey Çoban in the Kurtlar Vadisi universe; for many viewers his name is tied to that character. He currently plays Malkoçoğlu Bali Bey in TRT1's Mehmed: Fetihler Sultanı.

Born in the Palu district of Elazığ and a graduate of Elazığ Trade and Vocational High School, he came to the set modestly: on Kurtlar Vadisi he first handed out tea and lemonade to the crew, then made his first appearance on camera in a memorial-service scene. That start opened the door to a role that ran from 2003 to 2014. He played Abdülhey in the series and also in Kurtlar Vadisi Irak, Kurtlar Vadisi Terör, Ayrılık, Kurtlar Vadisi Pusu and Kurtlar Vadisi Filistin.

After the franchise he turned to other productions. In 2014 he played Zülfü Korkmaz in Beyaz Karanfil, which aired only six episodes; from 2015 to 2020 he was Fahri in Eşkıya Dünyaya Hükümdar Olmaz, and in 2018 he took a small soldier part in Bal Kaymak. In July 2025 he made the news for helping out at a wildfire in Çanakkale. In May 2026 he rejected claims that Kurtlar Vadisi set an example for violence, saying social media, not television series, drives it.