Nurgül Yeşilçay

Nurgül Yeşilçay — Biography

Nurgül Yeşilçay (born 26 March 1976, Afyonkarahisar) is a Turkish stage, film and television actress. She completed her secondary education in İzmir and graduated from the Theatre Department of Anadolu University in 2001. During her studies she appeared in major stage roles, including Ophelia in Hamlet and Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire. She entered television in 1998 with İkinci Bahar, but her real breakthrough came as Bahar Karadağ in Çağan Irmak's hit series Asmalı Konak (2002), a role that made her a household name.

Her portrayal of Kostak Emine in Atıf Yılmaz's Eğreti Gelin (2004) brought her the Best Actress award at the Adana Golden Boll Film Festival. She gained international notice as Ayten in Fatih Akın's The Edge of Heaven (2007). On television she reached mass audiences through Ezo Gelin, Aşk ve Ceza, Paramparça and as Kösem Sultan in Muhteşem Yüzyıl Kösem, later leading series such as Gülperi (2018), Kefaret (2020) and Veda Mektubu (2023). She has a son, Osman Nejat, from her marriage to actor Cem Özer.