Vahide Perçin

Vahide Perçin — Biography

Vahide Perçin is an actress who moved from the theatre stage to become one of Turkish television's best-known interpreters of mothers and mature women. She is remembered for playing Hürrem Sultan in Muhteşem Yüzyıl and Hünkar Yaman in Bir Zamanlar Çukurova; more recently she has appeared as the judge Güzide in Aldatmak and as İsmet in Şakir Paşa Ailesi: Mucizeler ve Skandallar. From 2021 to 2024 she chaired the actors' union Oyuncular Sendikası, and she is among the founders of the acting school 35 Buçuk Akademi.

She grew up in Karşıyaka in a family that had emigrated from Greece. After studying graphic design she began economics, then turned to theatre and graduated first in her class from the Theatre Department of Dokuz Eylül University's Faculty of Fine Arts. She worked at Ankara Sanat Tiyatrosu and the State Theatres before settling in Istanbul. Her screen career began in 2003 with Bir İstanbul Masalı and Hırsız Polis; as Nevin in the film İlk Aşk she won Best Actress at the 2007 Altın Koza festival, and the series Annem brought her another award. Adını Feriha Koydum, Merhaba Hayat, Göç Zamanı, Anne and Kapı followed.

With Ayhan Hanım she took Best Actress again at the Istanbul Film Festival in 2014. For Bir Zamanlar Çukurova she became the first Turkish actor to win Best Foreign Actress at the 2020 Produ Awards. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011 and recovered. Long credited as Vahide Gördüm, she returned to the surname Perçin after her 2013 divorce.