Ali Sen

Ali Şen, man, what a character. Born back in 1918 in Adana, Turkey, he basically strutted right into the world of Turkish cinema and made himself at home. People still talk about him like he’s some kind of legend, and honestly, they’re not wrong. Dude had this way of taking over every scene—like, you’d barely remember what movie you were watching, but you’d remember Ali Şen was in it. His filmography? Kinda wild. Let’s start with “Ayşecik ve Sihirli Cüceler Rüyalar Ülkesinde” from 1971. It’s got this trippy, almost fairytale vibe, and Ali just fits in like he was born to play those oddball, magical characters. Then there’s “Süt Kardeşler” (1976). If you’re into Turkish comedy, you know this one. The slapstick, the misunderstandings, the chaos—and right in the middle of it, there’s Ali, doing his thing, making you laugh even when you wanna roll your eyes. Fast-forward to “Gırgır Ali” in 1982, and you get a taste of how he could swing from comedy to drama without breaking a sweat. He had this real, no-nonsense approach, but you could tell there was a twinkle in his eye, like he was in on the joke before anyone else. The guy kept it real till the end, passing away in Istanbul in 1989, but man, his legacy? Still going strong. Turkish cinema just wouldn’t be the same without his larger-than-life presence.