Monday, November 15, 2010

Türkan Şoray

Practically anytime you turn on Turkish television you are bound to find yourself watching a Turkan Soray film. With her hypnotic eyes and classically beautiful looks, she has entranced audiences in Turkey for decades. Early in her career she starred in a new film literally every month. In 1961, she released 12 films, 1962, she starred in 13 films and the following year, she was seen in no less than 14 films.

Born to a government official father, Halit Şoray and her mother, Meliha Şoray on 28 June 1945,  Turkan was the older of two daughters. Following the birth of her sister, Nazan, her parents divorced and both daughters were raised by her mother. Through her landlords, who were the parents of another actress, Emel Yildiz,.Turkan was invited to Yesilcam, one of Turkey's major filmmaking studios.  She made her film debut in 1960 at just 15 years old with the film Aşk Rüzgarı(The Wind of Love).

Within five years, Soray became one of Turkey's leading female actresses and was famously allowed to enact a set of rules in her contract which allowed to avoid the kind of roles that stereotyped women during that time. The "Şoray Rules" were seen by some to be the demands of a Hollywood diva, but it paid off as she was given the respect she wanted and the movie roles came flying in as well

Since then she has continued her career, winning various national and international awards, including the Moscow Film Festival Grand Jury Prize iin1973 as well as 1999 Rome Film Festival, Honorary Award. 

For her contributions to Turkish cinema, we salute you, Turkan Soray.

Here is a very small sample of her film posters. film poster

 

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