Global Talent Directory

Comedians from Turkey

The comedian directory of Turkey — profiles, bios, photos, and social links for comedians from Turkey.

5 comedians

Ayşen Gruda

Ayşen Gruda was a Turkish actress and comedian, born on August 22, 1944, in Yeşilköy, Istanbul. Her father was a railway worker, and she had two sisters, Ayten and Ayben Erman, who also pursued careers as actresses. Early in her life, her comedic talent was recognized when she imitated her Armenian neighbors as a child. She began her professional acting journey in 1962 with a small role in the vodvil 'Kongre Eğleniyor'. Following her father’s death while she was in high school, she left school to work. In 1965, she married Yılmaz Gruda and they had a daughter, Elvan. They divorced in 1976, and she took a break from acting to focus on raising her daughter. She appeared in over 100 films throughout her career, frequently collaborating with Adile Naşit in films directed by Ertem Eğilmez. Notable films include 'Tosun Paşa', 'Süt Kardeşler', 'Gülen Gözler', 'Şabanoğlu Şaban', 'Hababam Sınıfı', and 'Neşeli Günler'. She also participated in numerous plays and musicals, such as 'Mum Söndü', 'Deve Kuşu Kabare', 'Hababam Sınıfı Müzikali', and 'Yedi Kocalı Hürmüz'. A television sketch, 'Her Domates Güzeli Nahide Şerbet,' brought her widespread recognition in 1977 and earned her the nickname 'Domates Güzeli'. She continued acting until appearing in the 2014 film 'Pek Yakında' directed by Cem Yılmaz. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and died on January 23, 2019, in Istanbul at the age of 74 due to respiratory failure. She was buried at Zincirlikuyu Cemetery. In 2016, she publicly acknowledged a past relationship with Müjdat Gezen. Her daughter, Elvan Gruda, passed away in December 2023.

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Turkey

Cem Yılmaz

Cem Yılmaz is a multifaceted Turkish entertainer, identified as an actor, stand-up comedian, musician, filmmaker, screenwriter, and cartoonist. Born in Istanbul on April 23, 1973, his family traces its roots to Gürün, Sivas, and Thessaloniki (Greece). His educational path included attending Mehmet Akif School, Bahçelievler Kazım Karabekir Secondary School, Etiler Anadolu Tourism Vocational High School, and Boğaziçi University, where he studied Tourism and Hotel Management but did not complete his degree. He is also a cartoonist and works with music. Yılmaz’s career began in the early 1990s when he started contributing to the satirical magazine LeMan . This involvement led to his first stand-up performance at the LeMan Cultural Centre, followed by appearances at the Beşiktaş Cultural Centre which helped him gain recognition. In 1995, he appeared in a music video for Özlem Tekin. His cinematic debut came in 1998 with Everything's Gonna Be Great . He is known for his sci-fi parody film G.O.R.A. (2004), which critics like Rekin Teksoy considered a success, and has acted in ten films including A.R.O.G , Hokkabaz , and Yahşi Batı , as well as providing voice acting for three others. He has created seven stand-up specials and four separate shows that sold out. Throughout his career, Cem Yılmaz has received several awards, including three Sadri Alışık awards and one Yeşilçam award, as well as recognition at the Brussels International Independent Film Festival. He directed the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra twice, demonstrating his musical versatility. He has also served as a commercial face for brands such as Panasonic, Opet, Türk Telekom, Türkiye İş Bankası, and Doritos. Yılmaz toured the United States with his StandartCY show in 2014. He starred in Deli Aşk in 2017, and has expressed intentions to incorporate stand-up performances into future projects like Karakomik Filmler and Erşan Kuneri . He performed the Diamond Elite Platinum Plus show between 2020 and 2021. His brother is writer Can Yılmaz, and his sister's spouse is comedian Tolga Çevik. He was married to Ahu Yağtu from 2012 to 2013, and they have a son named Kemal.

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Turkey

Levent Kırca

Levent Kırca, born on September 28, 1950, in Samsun, Turkey, was a multifaceted Turkish figure known as a comedian, actor, columnist, and politician. His parents were teacher Bahriye Özbay Kırca and painter Mehmet Kırca. Following his father's relocation to Switzerland, he moved to Ankara with his mother during childhood. He began acting in theater during his high school years, debuting at the Ankara State Theater in 1964 and subsequently working with the Ankara Birlik Tiyatrosu and Halk Oyuncuları. Kırca's career encompassed both stage and screen. He transitioned to cinema in 1978 with Taşı Toprağı Altın Şehir and appeared in films like Ne Olacak Şimdi? , alongside Şener Şen, Nevra Serezli, and Perran Kutman, and Mavi Muammer . He founded the Hodri Meydan Topluluğu theater group and staged plays such as Güzel ve Çirkin and Sefiller with Oya Başar. For over two decades, from 1988 to 2010, he hosted the television program Olacak O Kadar , collaborating with his wife on the 1986 sketch series of the same name. He also directed films including Son and Şeytan Bunun Neresinde . He produced several television series, including Nasreddin Hoca , Oyun Treni , and others. Beyond entertainment, Kırca was involved in politics as a member of the left-wing Patriotic Party (Vatan Partisi) and served on its Central Executive Committee. He ran for mayor of Üsküdar in 2009 and for Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality in 2014. In 1998, he was named a State Artist, but this title was revoked in 2015. He briefly starred in the comedy series Karımın Dediği Dedik Çaldığı Kontrbas in 2011 and taught at Beykent University's Faculty of Fine Arts. Levent Kırca died on October 12, 2015, from liver cancer, and his funeral service was held at Levent Mosque; he was buried in Zincirlikuyu Cemetery. A wax figure of him is displayed at the Saint Petersburg Wax Museum.

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Turkey

Seyfi Dursunoğlu

Seyfi Dursunoğlu is known as showmen, comedian, drag queen, singer, kantocu and server in Turkey. Thanks to entertainment programs broadcasting from 1970s to 2010, televisions became a recognized entertainment figure.

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Turkey

Zeki Alasya

Zeki Alasya, Türk sinema oyuncusu ve yönetmeni olarak tanındı. Kıbrıs kökenli bir aileden gelen Alasya, Kıbrıslı Mehmed Kamil Paşa ile akrabalık bağına sahiptir.

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