Ekin Mert Daymaz

Ekin Mert Daymaz is a Turkish actor and model. He acted in Çilek Kokusu (Strawberry Smell, also: Demet Özdemir), Hayat Sevince Güzel (Recipe For Love, also: Burak Çelik), Bir Sevdadır (Tears of a Bride, also: Fırat Kaya & Ekin Aksoy), Kırlangıç Fırtınası (Swallow Storm), Ağlama Anne (Foster Mother), Payitaht Abdülhamid (The Last Emperor/The Capital: Abdul Hamid, also: Ezgi Eyüboğlu & Cemre Baysel), Gençliğim Eyvah (Lost Youth, also: Burak Tozkoparan), Savaşçı (Warrior), Seni Kalbime Sakladım (I Kept You In My Heart), Hayaller ve Hayatlar (Dreams and Realities, also: Serkay Tütüncü & Aybüke Pusat), Rüyanda Görürsün (In Your Dreams, also: Burcu Özberk), Kuruluş: Osman (Establishment: Osman, also: Emre Bey, Erdem Şanlı, Ali Öner, Belgin Şimşek & more), Yeraltı (Underground, also: Sunay Kurtuluş, Hakan Çelebi, Nilay Erdönmez, Deniz Can Aktaş, Burak Sevinç, Sümeyye Aydoğan, Uraz Kaygılaroğlu, Devrim Özkan & Ülkü Hilal Çiftçi) and more.

Photo Source: Go Türkiye, hidden lover

Facts:

• although he was born in the Netherlands, he didn’t stay there long; he returned to Istanbul with his family at the age of one and grew up in Çatalca
• after high school, he took a four-year break from his education, during which he played basketball, suffered an injury and became a model
• placing third in the Best Model of Turkey competition changed the course of his life
  • he says his decision to enter the competition was very sudden, yet everything progressed smoothly and became an important step and a new beginning for him
  • shortly after the competition, he began receiving TV series offers, with Not Defteri (Notebook) becoming his first project, a true school for him, where he learned a great deal on set
• he is interested in many sports, especially basketball and considers sports an essential part of his life, saying it helps him unwind and is indispensable for him
• he was very shy and couldn’t be himself in crowded environments, often keeping a distance when talking to people
  • at that time, his life revolved solely around basketball and he wasn’t concerned with socialising, however, in his early twenties, he experienced a turning point, though he isn’t exactly sure how it happened
• until a few years ago, he neither worked with passion nor saw his job as a profession
  • he started in 2014 and had six or seven projects, but in the beginning, he didn’t really work hard or put in effort, nor did he accept it as his career, he didn’t respect his work
  • he had been a hyperactive child who loved having fun and going out, prioritising entertainment over his job
  • however, in the past few years, especially at the start of the pandemic, he realised he had been disrespectful to both the people who trusted him and to himself and his profession, so he changed
• Kobe Bryant holds a very special place for him
  • he explains that when you are passionate about a sport, you choose an idol to follow and for him Kobe was that figure, he even had posters in his room and would stay up late to watch his games
  • Kobe wasn’t just a basketball player; he was a major source of motivation because of his passion for his craft, work ethic, humanity and generosity in his social life, in every way, Kobe was an extraordinary man and very special to him
• he admires and closely follows actors such as Haluk Bilginer, Travis Fimmel and Tom Hardy
• he is a nature lover who spends much of his free time around Sarıyer and Kilyos
  • he prefers discovering new places and being close to nature, usually making spontaneous decisions
  • his new hobby is camping and diving and when he finds the time, he hopes to travel across Türkiye by caravan
• his favourite food, by far, is the Mantı (dumplings) made by his mother and grandmother
• he was influenced by films such as I Am Legend, Pulp Fiction, Gladiator, Léon and Requiem for a Dream
• he loves cooking, especially trying and discovering new recipes
  • he often mixes ingredients together, though it doesn’t always work, he usually ends up creating delicious dishes