Onur Büyüktopçu was born on April 24, 1982 in Istanbul. Turkish TV series, cinema, theater actor and presenter.
Name: Onur Büyüktopçu
Date of Birth: April 24, 1982
Place of Birth: Istanbul
Height: 1.81 m.
Weight: 90 kilos
Sign: Taurus
Color of Eyes: Blue
Siblings: Berrak Karaöz
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onurbyktpc/
Family: His father is from Çankırı and his mother is an immigrant. He was born in Istanbul, but lived in Izmir until the age of 18 and completed his education there. “I grew up in Izmir, Immigration is my origin, but because I lived in Izmir until I was 18, I say I am from Izmir. It is always mixed in Turkey; Tell me where you were born. In fact, my father did not live in Çankırı, and my mother was in many places. They lived in Izmir, when this is the case, I say I am from Izmir too, and I like to say that because it makes me proud to be from Izmir. But I also love Istanbul very much. I left Izmir at the age of 18, I had an adventure abroad. I have a mother, sister, and a niece. They live in Izmir. I go whenever I get the chance. We have a good family bond. My mother gave birth to my sister and me at a very young age. He always says, “I grew up with you too”. This is something very important. That’s why we went through a lot of events, but thankfully we are still together.”
Childhood years: He was an antisocial, introverted child. He says his mother has been his biggest supporter since childhood. “There is endless love between us in my mother. It is as if he welcomes a friend he has not seen for 10 years at every door angle to me. At that moment, a dreamlike scene comes to life for me, literally everywhere blooms, butterflies fly in my eyes, this is a very special relationship between us and him. I think I’m attracted to my mother, we are like a love patty with her, he loves me because I have beady eyes, I’m trying to be a worthy son for his. There is no actor or artist in my family. I used to watch TV like crazy when I was a kid. I used to watch everything from Brazilian productions to youth dramas and lock on the screen. I was the child of a realist family with a purely merchant mentality. But the curiosity that started with serials continued with theatre. When I was 15-16, I used to say that I went to study with my friends and ran away to watch the theater. I was also a somewhat antisocial child. I didn’t have many friends. My best friend at that time was theater for me. When this was the case, I stepped into this world with an extra. I went to courses and received training, I shot trial scenes. Then the nerdy, cowardly boy went, and a social boy eager for acting appeared instead. Obviously, this has worked for me. And now I’m not shut up.”
Educational life: After high school education, he went to England for language and theater school at the age of 18. He studied at the Academy of Creative Training Brighton Act London Film Academy. “I first went to a language school in England, then I studied at a theater school. I lived there for 4 and a half years and then I thought that my job was done there and returned to Turkey in 2009. I entered the State Theatre. I acted in the theater play ‘Bury the Dead’. Then I started casting director. My days were free, so I started to manage.”
The turning point of his career: He sees the character of “Koray”, which he portrayed in the TV series Kiralık Aşk, as the turning point of his career. “I went to England. I was able to perform my profession in Istanbul, and I played in the State Theater in Izmir for two years, but I chose to live here because the job opportunities were mostly in Istanbul. I started the casting business with the Kanıt series. I cast the last 25 episodes of it. Then I left there. I cast Umutsuz Ev Kadınları, Fatih series, Aşk Ekmek Hayaller series, Ruhumun Aynası and most recently Kiralık Aşk. Of course, I did it until the 22nd episode, then I couldn’t do it because of my intensity. Because I have a shoot on the set and I was looking for an actor on the one hand. I couldn’t do two jobs at the same time and because I couldn’t run it anymore, I left it in section 22. After that, I did not work as a casting director again, and I am not doing it now. The biggest turning point for me is the ‘Kiralık Aşk’ series that started broadcasting in 2015, I was at the bottom before that period and I have never been this low. I quit acting, I couldn’t earn money, I could hardly pay my rent. At the beginning of the series, I took on the role of casting director by adding night and day, but I have no hope because there is no famous name in terms of classical romantic comedy, acting, I was saying that this series would not last long. There were those who thought I was gay because of my role. This has been talked about a lot on social media, but I’m not gay. If I were gay, would I tell you? I do not know.”
The first step into acting: The character of “Yusuf”, which he portrayed in the TV series “Lise Defteri”, started his television adventure in 2003.
Which project did it shine with? He attracted attention with the character of “Koray”, which he portrayed in the TV series “Kiralık Aşk”.
Personality traits: Patient, loyal, stubborn, reliable. “My relatives always say that I am very good and pure in heart. Since my childhood, I strive to be a compassionate and good person. The most important thing for me is manners. My sister read the comments I received from my social media account and called me one day and said, ‘What a great feeling to be loved, everyone thinks positively about you, this makes me very happy’. I am also a good friend. I have very few friends in my life. There is nothing I can’t do for them. My family, my friends and acting are what I said I could never give up. I am fond of food, I am fond of my standard of living. I am very patient, stubborn. I’m very loyal. No one can change me in any way.”
Social: Does not like nightlife very much. Resting when he goes home is one of his greatest luxuries. He likes to travel around Galata, Taksim and Nişantaşı in Istanbul. “I don’t have a nightlife like that. Sometimes we say ‘Let’s go out and have fun’ with friends. I spray perfumes, I dress in style, but I miss home as soon as I step in. Unfortunately, I can only stay in such places for a maximum of 15 minutes. I lived in Izmir until I was 18, but I love Istanbul very much. You know, there is a saying, “I came to Istanbul, I fell in love”, it is very true. We reject so much, but we love so much. No one can leave Istanbul. I love its mobility so much that I really don’t like crowds. A living city Istanbul is a breathing city. For example, you are crossing the street in traffic. You are going crazy until you come to that bridge, but when you cross the bridge, that moment, everything ends at that moment. The person who had a fight with the city a while ago falls in love with this city again. Eating a kumpir in Ortaköy, drinking a cup of coffee in Bebek. It is indispensable.”
Mindset: He thinks that the essence of the work in relationships is sincerity. “Sincerity brings love and respect. You should also have friends you can have fun with. That’s why the family is different, because family love is unrequited. We all want to experience the feeling of security, but because we live under insecurity, we constantly have problems in our relationships. At least we are the good generation. I think the 80’s generation was the last generation. The 90s caught it from the corner, but the generation after 2000 turned into a completely different situation.”
Source of happiness: He is very happy to portray the character of Koray in the TV series For Rent. “I’m sure that if I had watched the Koray character being played by someone else, I would have said that I had played this character. It fit so well that the role was a great chance for me. Because in normal life, I have a character prone to comedy. I can never forget a memory; I was living in Cihangir then. One day, I went to a market to go shopping, a stylishly dressed woman of my age saw me, came to me and hugged me tightly and locked. And I say to myself, ‘Oh my God, what should I do’. Then the woman started to cry, but how she is crying inside. I thought it was one of my fans, but they’re usually younger girls too.-“Ma’am, are you okay?” I asked. “My mother and father live in Cihangir,” she said. ‘My father was diagnosed with cancer and in a severe stage, they sent him home because there was nothing left to do in the hospital. He was laughing a lot at your scenes every Friday night and he said that this boy makes me forget my pain. Thank you for keeping this alive.” I was very surprised, I did not know what to answer in such a situation. I said, ‘Good luck’. When I got home I started crying. It is the most beautiful thing in the world to know that there are people in Turkey who have had such a hard time and who say, “Oh, this kid came out, he made us laugh again” even a little bit. For me, money is never measured against money.”
First feature film: Murat Düzgünoğlu/ Hürmüz Gelin
His outlook on life: No matter what happens in life, his family and friends do not change anything. “They are very important and very valuable to me. How people go to work in the morning, same goes for me. I don’t have any extras. Since we are very prominent and popular, this situation has benefits, but sometimes we experience negative things. Other than that, my sleep schedule is essential. My sleep is very important. For example, maybe I don’t think much about food, but I should definitely get a good sleep.”
His perspective on business life: He thinks that living in England and the education he received there are great advantages for him. “It is a very developed country in terms of art. People are really making art there. While I was casting director in Istanbul, I wanted to help my friend because he needed money. ‘I’m casting this series, come act two episodes, that’s how much money is given per episode! I said, ‘I’m not a section actor’ I was turned down. There are so many egotistical people in Turkey. He hasn’t done anything yet, graduated from school, acted two games, but his ego is at the ceiling. I think ego is taught in schools and conservatories. While I was studying acting in England, I cleaned the toilet, worked as a bartender, babysitting an old man so I could earn my pocket money. I used to give him a bath twice a week. I mean, these sound very abnormal, but they are actually very normal things. I needed money, I had to pay for my school, I had to pay my rent, I needed money to have a drink with my friends one day of the week, and I had to work for it. I don’t have a wealthy family, they couldn’t send me pounds every month. When I was a manager, the actors came and said that they wanted to act in the series. I was hoping. It’s not a matter of will, it’s luck I have money for two months, I can stay in Istanbul for two months. But I could never adopt this idea. I took my rent out of dubbing for years. I would go into a room for eight hours and do a voiceover. I think someone who says I came to Istanbul for the series is losing from the beginning. ‘Brother, you came to be famous, not for art’. That’s why I think that conservatories always teach actors ego. Ego is not a bad thing when kept in check. If you try to become a famous actor by calling people a ghetto and throwing plates, you’re done. But on the other hand, when I look at it, there are so many different people that they are caught with it, they are caught with it, you see, it acts a leading role in advertisements. Turkey is a country that loves magazines. A country fed by magazines. We watch magazine programs instead of watching a movie every Sunday while having breakfast. It attracts us. I also watch magazine programs. I am not against watching them, but at the same time, I believe that every individual should make more efforts to improve themselves.”
Career plan: Although he acted more drama in his career, comedy has a special place for him. “From a career perspective, I like to act whatever feels right to me. This is my job, I am responsible for it. Actually, I have always acted in dramas, both in theater and on television, but comedy was important to me and I think I did a good job with the character of ‘Koray’. It’s so easy to cry. You give a music to the back, you act a slow motion, two drops of tears make your eyes water and flow. But in comedy it’s hard to make someone laugh. It is an unbelievable thing to experience this, especially in a period like this when we have experienced so many events and lost so many. Theater? TV? if you say. The theater is different. Above all, I am a disciplined person. If I didn’t fall in love with this profession, I wouldn’t be able to do it. Imagine acting games every night for four years. For me, theater is something else, but of course, the world of TV series is popular culture. This is my profession, as it is a job to earn more money and to be recognized, but the private field of acting is theater. In Turkey, there is the matter of continuing with what you are known for, yes, but I like to continue with comedy because I like comedy anyway. There are many characters in the theater that I want to portray. I would especially like to act ‘Bir Delinin Hatıra Defteri’, it is an amazing game.”
Future Dream: He has a dream of becoming a father in the coming years. “I really want to start a family. I made a promise to myself for this until the age of forty. I saw that there is no one, after this time I will create that family. Of course, I’m happy if something happens with love, but I have to overcome this insecurity. I’m not a man to have a relationship with for a long time, I can’t trust anyone’s sincerity, I’m an optimistic man, I blindly believe in the other person, the people who come into my life have always upset me, I have a habit of overvaluing, then I get sad when I don’t get the value I want.
What does he do at home? He loves reading books. In his spare time, he goes to the kitchen and cooks. He also pays a lot of attention to his sleep schedule. “I read a lot of books. This is a trait my mother gave me. My mother is a woman who finishes a book in two days. I like all kinds of music. If I’m at the tavern, I listen to Turkish Classical Music with pleasure. If I am at home, I open Müzeyyen Senar. I’ll switch it up and play Beyonce. I need 8 hours of sleep. Even if I sleep for 7 and a half hours, I feel bad the next day. For example, there are some of my friends who can stand up all day with 4 and a half hours of sleep a day and even have fun until the next day. I can never do that. Especially at set time, no one can take me out, I don’t even go to birthdays. For me, my job is at the forefront at that point. I’m from the Aegean and I’m passionate about herbs. I love olive oil. I cook when I have time. I used to even make stuffed olives with olive oil. Then artichokes, celery… I quit after I stepped into casting director.”
TV SERIES
2003- Lise Defteri / Yusuf
2004 – Yabancı Damat / Emre
2006 – Fırtınalı Aşk / Nedim
2006 – Doktorlar / (Guest)
2007 –Tatlı Bela Fadime / Özgür
2007 – Kavak Yelleri / Hakan
2007 – Üç Güzel Cadılar / Cooking teacher
2008- Kavak Yelleri/ Mert
2010 – Güz Gülleri
2011 – İzleniyor
2012 – Kanıt / Murat Karabaş (Guest Star)
2015/2017- Kiralık Aşk / Koray Sargın
2019 – Jet Set / Himself (Guest)
2021- Menajerimi Ara / Himself (Guest Star)
CINEMA MOVIES
2012- Patlayan Sokaklar: Gerzomat/ Genç Adam
2007- Memleket Öyküleri / Hüseyin (TV Movie)
2009 – Hürmüz Gelini / Süleyman
PROGRAMS HE SERVES
2020 – Gelinim Mutfakta / Kanal D
2020 – Çarkıfelek / Kanal D
2019- Damat Bayıldı / Show TV
2017/2019- Yemekteyiz/ TV 8