Those who watched the 6-episode magnificent images of the project called Rise of Empires Ottoman, the second season of which was broadcast on December 29, 2022 on Netflix, were fascinated by the story and the visuals. Of course, in the series, which is based on historical events and enriched with the explanations of historians, it should be said that Cem Yiğit Üzümoğlu’s magnificent acting is another admirable situation.
Although he is a young name and plays the role in English, the common opinion of everyone who watches is that Üzümoğlu’s character presentation is very impressive… So where does this impressiveness come from? While preparing for his role, Cem Yiğit Üzümoğlu researched the period starting with Fatih Sultan Mehmet’s conquest of Istanbul and extending to his subsequent conquests very well.
The actor, who resorted to historical books to feel the spirit of that period, also took great care to become Sultan Mehmet by getting rid of his own self at the point of portraying the character. You can see in every scene that the actor, who is not enchanted by the role, fascinates the audience with his animation performance.
Cem Yiğit Üzümoğlu, in his interview published in Cumhuriyet, said the following about the process of preparing and revealing the role: “I attach great importance to getting to know myself honestly. I think that this recognition made me become more aware of the closeness and distance of the roles I play.
Another important point is to approach the role without being swayed by its magic. This allows me to focus on the human traits of the character. Thus, his weaknesses, dreams, disappointments and mine become visible.
As someone who follows these speed and technological developments with fear and admiration, I have a romantic nostalgia for the past ages. Maybe this makes me feel more happy and special about the flow of time and being in that flow.”
Cem Yiğit Üzümoğlu was able to overcome this difficult task with a strong focus and by assimilating the personality of Fatih Sultan Mehmet without being fascinated by the role.