Münir Özkul

Born and raised in the wild, sprawling heart of Istanbul, he kicked things off at Bakirkoy Community Center Theatre—kinda humble beginnings, honestly. Then he bounced around: Ankara State Theatre, Istanbul State Theatre, and of course, the City Theatre. Didn’t just stick to the big stages, either; he shared tiny playhouse stages with folks who’d go on to be big shots themselves. His big break? That’d be “Fareler ve Insanlar” (yeah, “Of Mice and Men”—classic stuff). Even though he was already a familiar face to theater buffs, it was the movies that blasted him into nationwide fame after the ‘50s. By the ‘70s, he was everywhere, especially in Ertem Egilmez’s films. People loved seeing him team up with Adile Nasit—they were pure gold together, totally iconic. But ask anyone what role they remember? It’s gotta be Kel Mahmut, the bald, tough-love principal from the Hababam Sinifi series. That dude was always chasing after those unruly students, trying to steer them right. He kinda faded out from the spotlight when TV took over, though he’d still pop up now and then in guest spots. The Turkish Ministry of Culture made it official and called him a State Artist in ’98—well deserved. His personal life? Let’s just say it was colorful—four marriages, three kids, and a long battle with alcohol that he finally beat in the ‘90s. Sadly, dementia and COPD kept him homebound for years, and in January 2018, he passed away at 93, still in Istanbul, surrounded by family.