In her first Brazilian interview, Başak Gümülcinelioğlu opens up her heart about her journey in Turkish dramas Sen Çal Kapımı (Love Is in the Air) and Yargı, which earned her an International Emmy Award
Başak Gümülcinelioğlu is an multidisciplinary actress, who is also a singer, songwriter and architect from Türkiye. Her career includes a variety of works, from songwriting to starring in global TV Shows (also called dizis, which are hugely popular among fans). Educated in England, Başak is fluent in English, Turkish, and Spanish, which has helped her explore different cultures and sparked her interest in traveling the world.
Her acting career includes projects such as Erkenci Kuş (Daydreamer, 2019), Yarım Kalan Aşklar (Interrupted, 2020), and Sen, Ben, O! (You, Me, Her, 2023). However, it was in a summer TV Show that she gained international recognition and touched the hearts of viewers worldwide: Sen Çal Kapımı (Love Is in the Air, 2020), where she brilliantly portrayed Piril Baytekin.
In the show, Piril is a friend of Serkan Bolat (Kerem Bürsin) and provides many funny moments alongside her workaholic friends. Başak Gümülcinelioğlu participated in all 52 episodes of the show, which became a true phenomenon, being shown in more than 20 countries. On the day the final episode aired in Türkiye, in 2021, Sen Çal Kapımı became the most talked about television episode in the history of X (formerly Twitter), exceeding 8.4 million mentions.
Exclusive interview for Brazil
Başak talks about the success of Sen Çal Kapımı: “We really became like a family, like a chosen family. Let’s say we were on set every day doing the work. We believed in it, and we had to believe in it. […] We had faith and loved it, so I can say that I am grateful, as a Turkish girl, I am grateful to be loved and known.“
In the dizi, the actress was also responsible for the song entitled Sen Çal Kapımı, which she wrote and recorded the official version for the series, inspired by the love between Serkan Bolat and Eda Yıldız.
Following the success of the series, Başak Gümülcinelioğlu continued to pursue more extensive projects involving characters, cast, and scripts. In 2021, she was cast in the Turkish drama Yargı: Family Secrets.
The plot revolves around lawyer Ceylin Erguvan Kaya (Pınar Deniz), prosecutor Ilgaz Kaya (Kaan Urgancıoğlu) and his former fiancé, Judge Neva Seçkin (Başak Gümülcinelioğlu), who share common family situations, leading them to fall in love (and for some out of love) amidst the chaos. In the series, Başak as Judge Neva, portrayed the strong and determined woman who faces life’s difficulties and her profession’s challenges.
The way she portrayed the character, with its socio-political statements and the way she delivered powerful social messages, particularly regarding women and children, resonated deeply with her fans worldwide.
Her performance was widely shared on social media and received global attention, significantly contributing to her growing recognition. Starting the series with a highly interactive account of 1.5 million followers, her social media presence quickly soared to 2.5 million followers, symbolizing her rising international acclaim and admiration.
Her career choices and outstanding performance have earned her numerous awards, further expanding her global recognition. Başak stands as one of Turkey’s most inspiring representatives on the international stage.
The production won the 2023 International Emmy Award for Best Telenovela. The cast also includes actors Uğur Polat, Mehmet Yılmaz Ak, and Uğur Aslan, with a script by Sema Ergenekon. In this series, Başak Gümülcinelioğlu was one of the extraordinary contributors to this award as one of the lead actresses, breaking audience records in 70 countries, including Brazil, where it became a sensation loved by millions.
Başak Gümülcinelioğlu talks about her experience with the International Emmy Award in Yargı: “Everyone in the story contributed something. And the story itself gave us so much to work with. So, I am very grateful that this gave me power in my career. […] We all deserved it, everyone worked so hard for it“, she comments.
In addition, the actress shared some insights into her upcoming project, the series Reminder, where she will play the character Umay alongside her friend and former co-star, Hande Erçel. Will her new character bring some chaos to the story?
Watch the full interview with Başak Gümülcinelioğlu, where she speaks openly for the first time about her life and career to the world:
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Text revised by Laura Maria Fernandes de Carvalho
