Yilmaz Kayral

Yilmaz Kayral, born way back in 1922 over in Sanliurfa, Turkey—yeah, the dude’s got some age on him—was kind of a legend in Turkish cinema. He didn’t just stick to acting, either. Nope, the man was also messing around with music, composing here and there like it was no big deal. If you ever watched “Hülya” from 1988, that’s him. Or if your parents ever made you sit through “Kahpe Tuzagi” from ‘72 or the classic “Salako” in ‘74, you’ve definitely seen his face. He had this knack for showing up in roles where you’d least expect him—one minute he’s a dramatic lead, next he’s slipping into comedy like he was born for it. Honestly, his range? Wild. He wasn’t that actor who got typecast or faded into the background. People remember him for bringing this realness to his characters—sometimes he’d break your heart, sometimes he’d crack you up, and every now and then he’d just make you sit there thinking, “Wow, this guy’s good.” Not to get all sappy, but he really did leave a mark. Sadly, he passed away on October 27, 2004, but his work’s still floating around, popping up on late-night TV or in random YouTube rabbit holes. Turkish cinema buffs still throw his name around with a little bit of awe. He’s one of those names that just sticks, you know?