Şebnem Hassanisoughi recently joined the cast of Aktris, a Turkish series starring Pinar Deniz, and is set to star in the dizi Yabani
Born in Istanbul, actress Şebnem Hassanisoughi is a talent on the rise in Türkiye. Her story in acting started when she was very young, studying theater, when she finally decided that was the path for her future. “In a very short time I knew that this was what I wanted to do, that I wanted to study theater”, she says. Now, we can all watch Şebnem on Turkish series that are adored by fans all over the world – especially in Brazil.
Şebnem has been on many projects, like the TV series Vatanım Sensin (2016), broadcasted on Kanal D, with the character of Eftelya. She also played Aylin, the sister of Nevra (Cansu Dere), in the TV series Personality (2018) and appeared in the digital platform series Hot Head and Actress. Recently, she joined the cast of Aktris, a Turkish dizi that airs on Disney Plus and is available worldwide.
In Aktris, Şebnem plays Günes, a police officer who investigates a crime involving the main character, Yasemin Derin (Pinar Deniz), a famous, award-winning actress by day who becomes a serial killer by night.
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The cast also features Uraz Kaygılaroğlu (Üç Kuruş), Tolga Tekin (Kelebekler), Serhat Kılıç (Maraşlı), among other stars. Now, she is in the cast of Yabani, a series that talks about the struggle of a child who was kidnapped from an entrenched family and fell into the streets, and his challenge to recreate himself. “It’s a story that surprises a lot and you want to guess what’s going to happen next. The line of my character is very similar. It’s a role I think I’ll have a lot of fun playing”, tells the actress.
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In an interview for Entretetizei, Şebnem Hassanisoughi speaks what she knows about Brazil: “I listen to Brazilian music almost every day. I love Bossa Nova, old Brazilian singers, I even know the lyrics to some of them by heart and sing along”. She also talks about her career, experiences and leaves a charming message for the international audience that follows and admires Turkish productions.
Check it out below:
– To start the interview, can you tell us about your career? When did you decide you wanted to be an actress and how were your first experiences?
In my childhood, I was in contact with different areas of art. I painted, I wrote. While reading, I came across theater texts and began to read them aloud to myself. When I was 14, I enrolled in a theater course. I was lucky to meet good people in the industry. In a very short time I knew that this was what I wanted to do, that I wanted to study theater. At the age of 17, I was accepted to the theater department of the conservatory. Theater came first, then cinema and TV series.
– Which of your characters marked you the most and why?
It’s really hard to say, but when I read the question I thought of Efthalia from the series Wounded Love and Sevda from the first film I acted in, What Remains. Efthalia was a lonely woman who spoke and sang with a Greek accent and lived at the turn of the century. The set, the costume and the conditions of the time make her very special. Sevda, on the other hand, is in a very different place, because it was the first time that I did an intensive individual work in which I discovered my own way of working.
– What are the main differences between working for TV projects and working for streaming projects?
I think the main difference is the duration of the work and knowing the continuation or the end of the story. With digital projects you work in a shorter time frame, with more compact stories, with characters you know how they’ll start and end. TV projects are much longer, it’s like a long journey where the route can change a bit along the way.
– In Aktris, you shared the screen with the talented actors Pınar Deniz and Uraz Kaygılaroğlu, very popular in Brazil. How did you feel working with them? How were the days on set?
It was very pleasant and comfortable to work with all my friends in the Aktris team. Pınar and I worked together years ago, so it was nice to have a reunion with her. Uraz is someone I felt like I had known for a long time. I am happy for the time I shared with him.
– How was the preparation to play Günes and what lessons do you take away from this experience, being a series that deviates from Turkish screenplay standards and risks tackling more controversial themes?
Before we went on set, the small cast and our director got together and worked for a while. We rehearsed, we had long conversations, we spent time together. To answer your question, Güneş is already someone who is looking for the controversial areas in the story.
– Sicak Kafa is a drama series set in a dystopian world hit by an epidemic spread through speech/verbal communication. How was your preparation to play Canan? How was the experience of working on a production with such a different plot?
We shot Hot Skull during the pandemic, when we were nervous about being on set. It was an interesting experience. We lived with our masks, but when it came to shooting, the masks came off and the headphones came on. Because the virus in this story, written long before the pandemic, was transmitted by auditory means, through people who had contracted the disease. This strange coincidence helped us a lot, but it was also very challenging.
– What can we expect from your character in Yabani? What can you tell us about the dizi?
I read the scripts very quickly, very curious about what happens next. It’s a story that surprises a lot and you want to guess what’s going to happen next. The line of my character is very similar. It’s a role I think I’ll have a lot of fun playing.
– What kind of character would you like to play in the future?
I would love to meet a character I can’t even imagine at the moment. But most of all I would like to work with a good script and a good director, with teams in different parts of the world.
– Aktris, Sicak Kafa, and Andropoz are series in which you had a role and that were shown in different parts of the world, including Latin America. How do you feel when you see that there are people from other nationalities who are interested in Turkish productions and want to know more about Turkish culture?
I’ve never believed in borders. It’s very exciting that stories, feelings, ideas are common to all of us.
– In the last ten years, we have seen a huge growth in the popularity of Turkish TV series and movies around the world. Why do you think Turkish productions are becoming so popular? What do you think catches viewers’ attention the most?
Yes, there is a great and wonderful interest. I wonder why, to be honest, but it’s very pleasing.
– Brazil is at the top of countries that most consume Turkish productions. What do you know about Brazil? Would you like to visit our country one day?
You might be surprised to know that I listen to Brazilian music almost every day. I love Bossa Nova, old Brazilian singers, I even know the lyrics to some of them by heart and sing along. Probably with a very bad accent, but okay. Elis Regina, Gal Costa, Gilberto Gil, Egberto Gismonti, Hermeto Pescoal… I love them. I have a very close friend from Brazil. We have been wanting to visit her grandmother’s city together for years. Maybe this year we can do it. I also really want to be in Rio for the carnival season.
– Where do you see yourself after five years?
My wish for all time is to be here and now. I hope to be happy.
– Finally, what can we expect for the future? And what message would you like to leave for the Brazilian public?
I know all my Brazilian friends have one thing in common: they are warm, cheerful and fresh. This is very familiar and close to me, I guess because I come from the Mediterranean. Thank you for your perseverance, your joy, your dancing, your music, for inspiring the world.
So, what did you think of the interview with Şebnem Hassanisoughi? Tell us here in the comments or in Entretetizei’s social media (Instagram, Facebook and Twitter).
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Credits for the header picture: Disclosure /Ayhan Akbaş