Veteran Turkish actor Münir Özkul, one of the most beloved figures in Turkish theater and cinema, is being remembered on the eighth anniversary of his death.
Özkul, who was awarded the title of State Artist by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 1998 and received the Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Award in 2015, died on Jan. 5, 2018, in Istanbul.
Born on Aug. 15, 1925, in Istanbul, Özkul began acting at a young age while studying at Istanbul Boys’ High School. He first appeared on stage in 1937 at Bakırköy Middle School and gained recognition in 1940 at the Bakırköy People’s House theater for his performance in the play "Erkek Güzeli."
He began his professional acting career in 1948 with the play "Aşk Köprüsü" at the Ses Theater before joining the Küçük Sahne under the direction of the renowned theater pioneer Muhsin Ertuğrul. Throughout the 1950s, Özkul appeared in major stage productions including "Of Mice and Men," "The Playboy of the Western World," "The Seven Year Itch," "The Teahouse" and "Waiting for Godot."
Özkul worked at Istanbul City Theaters and Ankara State Theater and performed extensively in private theaters. He won the Ilhan Iskender Award in 1968 for his role in Sadık Şendil’s play "Kanlı Nigar."
In a past interview, Özkul said five figures had a major influence on his artistic life: Muhsin Ertuğrul, Ferdi Tayfur, Haldun Dormen, Sadık Şendil and Şakir Eczacıbaşı.
In 1968, traditional theater master Ismail Hakkı Dümbüllü passed on the symbolic "kavuk" – a ceremonial headpiece representing mastery of traditional Turkish theater – to Özkul.
He received multiple theater awards, including the Avni Dilligil, Ulvi Uraz, Ismet Küntay and Ismail Dümbüllü awards for his performance in Haldun Taner’s play "Sersem Kocanın Kurnaz Karısı."
Özkul also left a lasting mark on Turkish cinema, appearing in films from the 1950s onward. He became especially popular in the 1970s through director Ertem Eğilmez’s ensemble films, most notably for his role as the stern but warm-hearted vice principal “Kel Mahmut” – also known as “Mahmut Hoca” – in the Hababam Sınıfı series.
He made his television debut in 1979 with the adaptation of prominent author Tarık Buğra’s "Ibiş’in Rüyası." As television series grew in popularity in the 1990s, he appeared in productions such as "Uzaylı Zekiye," "Ana Kuzusu," "Şaban ile Şirin" and "Reyting Hamdi."
Özkul frequently shared the screen with actress Adile Naşit in films including "Mavi Boncuk," "Bizim Aile," "Aile Şerefi," "Gülen Gözler," "Neşeli Günler," "Gırgırıyye" and "Görgüsüzler."
He won the Best Supporting Actor award at the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival in 1972 for his role in "Sev Kardeşim" and received a special prize at the Azerbaijan Film Festival in 1977 for his portrayal of “Yaşar Usta” in "Bizim Aile."
Özkul was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the International Istanbul Theater Festival in 2006. He later received the Muhsin Ertuğrul Special Award at the Afife Theater Awards in 2014 and the Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Award in 2015.
He had three children – Hayriye, Ferdi and Güner.
According to an anecdote shared by Muhsin Ertuğrul in his book "Observations on Humanity and Theater," Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founding leader of the Republic of Türkiye, once watched Özkul perform on stage at age 12 and later told him, “Child, you will become a great theater actor.”
Özkul was laid to rest at Bakırköy Cemetery following a memorial ceremony at the Muhsin Ertuğrul Stage in Istanbul.
