Valley of the Wolves (TV series)

Kurtlar Vadisi (The Valley of the Wolves) was a Turkish television drama which broadcast mainly on Show TV and then transferred to Kanal D, then atv for its last season. It was mostly about an agent named Polat Alemdar who leaked into the mafia (becoming the partner of the mafia gunman Süleyman Çakır) after his plastic surgery. The scenario has direct and indirect references to the Turkish politics and political history from a viewpoint of an undercover agent. Kurtlar Vadisi became one of the most successful TV programmes in Turkey (ratings reached to %40) and produced a successful feature film named Valley of the Wolves: Iraq, Valley of the Wolves: Gladio and Valley of the Wolves: Palestine.

Cast

Necati Şaşmaz

Muhammed Necati Şaşmaz (born 15 December 1971) is a Turkish actor, best known for playing the lead role of Polat Alemdar in the popular television series Kurtlar Vadisi (Valley of the Wolves) and its movie spin-offs, including Kurtlar Vadisi Irak (Valley of the Wolves Iraq).

Necati Şaşmaz was born to a family of Zaza origin in Harput, Elazığ, Turkey, as the oldest son of Abdülkadir Şaşmaz. He studied Tourism and Hotel Management, both in Turkey and in Canada. He lived in the United States for six years before returning to Turkey for a visit to his parents. He had planned to return to the U.S. on 11 September 2001, but the September 11 attacks on that same day led him to cancel his flight and continue life in Turkey.

In Istanbul, Necati Şaşmaz met renowned Turkish director Osman Sınav, who offered him the leading role in the Valley of the Wolves. He played the fictional character Polat Alemdar in the series and in the movie. He currently plays in another spin-off of the original series titled Kurtlar Vadisi: Pusu (Valley of the Wolves: Ambush).

Raci Şaşmaz

Raci Şaşmaz (born 30 October 1973 in Elazig) is a Turkish film producer, writer and actor.

Necati Şaşmaz is his brother.

Filmography

Oktay Kaynarca

Oktay Kaynarca (b. 27 January 1965 in Malatya) Turkish actor. He is better known for his role in the popular TV series, Kurtlar Vadisi (Valley of the Wolves). He currently plays in a film called "Eskiya Dunyaya Hukumdar Olmaz". He is one of the main characters in the film. His role name is "Hızır Çakırbeyli", or "Çakır".

Overview

In Turkey, Oktay Kaynarca is more recognized with his work in TV. He played "Süleyman Çakır" in the cult Turkish series Kurtlar Vadisi (Valley of the Wolves). His character was so sympathized that, when his character died in the series, his fans performed a funeral service in absentia.

He has a poem album called Ölümden Öte Köy Yok (There is no town further than death).

Filmography

Cem Yılmaz

Cem Yılmaz (Turkish pronunciation: [ˈd͡ʒem jɯɫˈmaz], born 23 April 1973 in Istanbul, Turkey) is a Turkish stand-up comedian, actor, voice actor, musician, filmmaker, scenarist, and cartoonist, best known for his films G.O.R.A. (2004), A.R.O.G (2008) and Yahşi Batı (2010), who has won two Sadri Alışık awards for his roles in Organize İşler (2005) and The Magician (2006).

Biography

While studying at the Department of Tourism and Hotel Management of Boğaziçi University, he started drawing comics for the Turkish humor magazine Leman. In August 1995 he did his first comedy show in "Leman Culture Center" performing with no serious career intentions as a comedian. However, after the positive response of the audience, he continued his show to attract larger crowds in Beşiktaş Cultural Center where he has appeared in over a thousand stand-up comedy shows since, becoming so popular that tickets have sold for 250TL (approx. US$140). His family is originally from Sivas, Turkey.

Career

Movie career