Nihal Yalçın

Photo Source: sakincali, now tv

Nihal Yalçın is a Turkish actress and voice actor. She acted in Ay Lav Yu (I Love You), Avrupa Yakası (European Side, also: Bennu), Yalan Dünya (Almost Famous), Berlin Kaplanı (Tiger of Berlin), Araf (also: Neslihan), İstanbullu Gelin (Bride of Istanbul, also: Salih), Kırmızı Oda (The Red Room, also: Aybüke & Emin), Oğlum (My Son, also: Feyyaz), Bahar (Blooming Lady), Sakıncalı (A Mother’s Oath, also: Özge, Seray, Cem & Miray) and more.

Facts:

• she is the child of a family of Alevi and Zaza origin from Dersim, Tunceli
  • though some sources claim she is from Elazığ
  • in other words, she is originally Kurdish
  • learned that she was Alevi/Alawi when she was 13 years old
• she is the second of five children from a working-class family and grew up in a poor neighbourhood, working on weekends throughout middle and high school
  • although she once felt burdened by responsibility, she later realised how young her parents were and how hard they worked despite being children themselves
  • emphasises that her parents, especially her mother, deeply valued education and managed to support all their children’s schooling under very difficult conditions
  • feels a profound sense of gratitude toward her family, saying that sharing, solidarity and her parents’ outlook on life are what made her who she is today
• with the encouragement of her parents, she pursued conservatory training
• after her conservatory education, she worked as a voice-over artist for a long time
• appeared in front of the camera for the first time in 2005 with the film Hacivat Karagöz Neden Öldürüldü?
• says that people strangely prefer to watch beautiful people, as if unattractive lives aren’t worth seeing
  • she believes a convincing performance can change this beauty/ugliness perception
  • says she’s lazy when it comes to self-care and that it feels like a full-time job to her, ‘How do people stay at the hairdresser for hours?’ she asks
• when asked about her relationship with Berker Güven who is 13 years younger, she says that the reason it becomes news when a woman dates a younger man is society’s assumption that the man should be the “leader” and that this mindset still shapes people’s reactions
• said actress Demet Evgar is a friend from school and that they had always wanted to work together
• experienced bullying in the industry due to the beauty and aesthetic standards imposed on women
  • while acting in Yalan Dünya, she was subjected to serious pressure and was told she could get leading roles if she had cosmetic surgery
  • adds that she never accepted this and has always seen herself as beautiful
• she says that Şener Şen was more energetic than everyone else on the Yol Ayrımı (Fork in the Road) set, arriving earliest and leaving latest throughout two months of filming and that she never once saw him look upset, describing him as very kind
• leaving Yalan Dünya was a conscious choice rooted in her priorities, she says
  • explains that she never focused on earning a lot of money or owning a home, believing instead that peace and happiness matter more
  • adds that she still rents, turns down projects that don’t feel right to her and values her well-being over financial gain
• in her view, only inexperienced actors who gain quick fame tend to prioritize appearance, brands and status over craft
  • emphasises that these are short-lived concerns, whereas what matters to her is being happy with the work itself
  • for her, the process is everything and she feels fulfilled when she has done her “student’s duty” well
• believes that not only poetry but all forms of art are deeply healing for people
  • says a single play or film can change a life, especially for those who truly need it