Ertan Saban

Ertan Saban’s got that whole chameleon thing down—he slips in and out of roles like it’s no big deal. Born in Skopje, back when it was the Republic of Macedonia, he’s basically the poster child for cultural mashups: Turkish roots, Macedonian and Turkish passports, speaks both like it’s nothing. He didn’t just stumble into acting either; he actually put in the work at the State Conservatory of Macedonia, Theater. He and his brother, Erman, used to light up the stage together at the Macedonian Turkish Theater, doing everything from heavy dramas to who-knows-what-else. Then Ertan jumps over to Turkey and suddenly he’s everywhere—big TV series, movies, you name it. People really started noticing him in “Elveda Rumeli,” a period drama that got everyone talking. He’s not shy about mixing it up, either; one minute he’s in “Mutlu Ol Yeter” hanging out with Ali Atay, next thing you know, he’s the mysterious Gölge in “Kurtlar Vadisi Pusu.” The guy’s not just an actor though. He wrote and starred in “Limonata,” which, honestly, is kind of underrated. Awards? Yeah, he bagged Best Actor at the 4th Kaunos Golden Lion Film Festival for “Baska Semtin Çocuklari” back in ’08. Oh, and if you blinked, you might’ve missed him in Malt’s “Deprem” music video—because apparently acting and screenwriting aren’t enough. That’s Ertan Saban for you: always moving, always surprising.