Tuba Büyüküstün was born on July 5, 1982 in Istanbul. Turkish series and film actress.
Name: Tuba Büyüküstün
Date of Birth: July 5, 1982
Place of Birth: Istanbul
Length: 1.73 m.
Weight: 59 kilos
Zodiac: Cancer
Eye Color: Ela
Hair Color: Dark Brown
Ex-Wife: Onur Saylak
Child: Maya Saylak, Toprak Saylak
Siblings: One child
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tubabustun.official/
Family: Her family was born and raised in Istanbul, originating in Erzurum. Her mother is a banker, her father is an Electronic Engineer. The only child of her family. Between 2011 and 2017, she was married to actor Onur Saylak like herself. They have twin daughters named Maya and Toprak from this marriage.
Childhood years: She was an introverted, quiet, shy, never speaking child. She grew up as a child of working parents. That’s why she learned to take responsibility at an early age. “In the first grade of primary school, I opened the door myself, waiting for my moms. At that age, I learned to make rice and pasta. Since mom and dad are always working, I am someone who can do everything by myself. The first thing I remember about my childhood is that I like painting. But then I left. I studied science and math. I liked biology very much. I wanted to be a genetic engineer. Then a friend decided to go to fine arts. As I talked to him, I came to the head of “I loved painting, why did I give up?” And I entered Fine Arts in Mimar Sinan. ”
Educational life: She completed her secondary education at Istanbul Private Dogus Schools. She graduated from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts Faculty, Department of Stage Decoration and Costume Design.
The turning point of her life: On the day she went to enroll in Mimar Sinan, there was a catalog shoot at the school. The photos were taken by Cemil Ağacıkoğlu. While walking around in school, she came over and said that she wanted to take pictures of herself. “I also don’t like posing, taking photos or anything. So much so that I do not have any pictures properly after the age of 13. I don’t like, they somehow deceived me when I said I didn’t want it and suddenly I found myself in front of the lens. Cemil Ağabey took several frames and put these photos in his studio. One day a watch company saw my photos and liked it. He took his company a year throughout Turkey catalog. Then I worked in Switzerland for two years, I had faces. This is how I earned my first money. This is something very spontaneously developed in my life. Then I coincidentally met Gaye Sökmen and started working with her. After that, I made several commercials. Tomris Giritlioğlu saw me in one of these commercials and liked me and made me an offer to play in the TV series ‘Gül Oya in My Circle’. When I said ‘I can’t play, I can’t, I have a school’ or something, we started working. Then the sequel came. ”
First step to acting: She started her television adventure in 2003, starring in the last episodes of the ‘Sultan Makamı’ series directed by Aydın Bulut.
With which project did it shine? It drew attention with the character ‘Zarife’, which she portrayed in the TV series ‘Çemberimde Gül Oya’.
Personality traits: She likes distance, shy, natural, plain, loneliness.
Social: She doesn’t like nightlife, she loves simplicity and calmness. “It is important that I feel safe. And I don’t feel safe in the night club. That’s why I spend more time around the house and one kilometer of the house. ”
Source of happiness: She is happy with the social responsibility projects she has done for children. “Every child has the right to education, health, life, love and exist,” says UNICEF’s ‘Goodwill Ambassador’. Together with UNICEF, it carries out activities for the protection of children in many areas, especially for the protection and support of children during extraordinary periods, and for the necessary support. “We visit schools and camps. We last visited a camp in Kilis. We have studies for children who have to leave their countries because of the war in Syria. Unfortunately, it is always the children who suffer the most in many humanitarian dramas in our region and other parts of the world. The fact that people like me and me who have more chances to make their voices spoken of these organizations is actually one of the most effective ways to draw attention to the situation of those in difficult situations. ”
First feature film: Çağan Irmak / My Father and My Son
Life attitude: She never gets bored and afraid of loneliness. She goes to a cafe, sits alone for hours, eats, reads her book. “This situation is sometimes perceived as coldness, arrogance, strangeness, and sociality. But no, I grew up like this, I grew up like this. ”
Business perspective: She just wants to be considered with her work. She doesn’t like to be on the agenda with her private life. “This is just my job. I could like to do another job, I could do it. But I am acting, and this is not all of my life. It’s just a part of my life. I wake up in the morning, I am very lucky that I do the job I love and return home. ”
Career plan: “Being a popular player in the Middle East also shows me that I have achieved success in the right jobs. At some point, it shows that I do my job well, which I think is one of the reasons for human existence in the world. It is not clear what life will bring. Maybe someday I will have a chance to make a movie in Hollywood or not. It is more important than what it is like, where it is, its quality, what it serves. ”
Future Dream : She doesn’t like to plan. “Ask me a few weeks or a few months later, I cannot tell where I will be or what I will be doing; I don’t have a plan for that. Right now, I know five days from now; nothing more. Anything can happen at any moment. Our plans may not really work. ”
Concerns: She finds it worrying that people are getting increasingly rude to each other. “I notice this when I walk in the street, in traffic. That people are getting away from their old kindness and their understanding of each other; I see it being normal to be rude and intolerant. And I’m very sorry. ”
How motherhood changed her life: She thinks that having a child is a naturally bestowed gift to a woman, and for someone who has chosen to have a child, it is not difficult to raise a child. “Of course, many things change in your life. Your brain is starting to work differently, your heart is starting to feel different. It is very enjoyable to grow with them, rather than raising children, full of discoveries. But motherhood is more than anything; after bringing a person to the world, it includes supporting her when she needs it until she stands on her feet. ‘To walk’ with that child. I thank this the most. After I become a mother, I do not raise anything in my eyes any more, I am not as impulsive as before.”

Hobby: She paints from time to time. “Sometimes I feel that feeling and I have to do something. I draw portraits and human figures. Painting is one of my first loves of life. ”
What does she spend on? Hat buff. She takes hats from wherever she goes or not, but she definitely tries. “I don’t leave the shop without trying,” she says. She has so many hats that she doesn’t even know her number.
Successes and Turning Points
-
Ihlamurlar Altında (Under the Lime Trees – 2005): Starring alongside Bülent İnal, this series played a key role in popularizing Turkish dramas in the Middle East, making Büyüküstün an icon in the Arab world.
-
Asi (2007-2009): Co-starring with Murat Yıldırım, this series was broadcast in 67 countries and was nominated for “Best Soap Opera” at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival.
-
20 Dakika (20 Minutes – 2013): With her performance in this series, she became the first Turkish actress to be nominated for “Best Actress” at the International Emmy Awards.
-
Kara Para Aşk (Black Money Love – 2014): Her chemistry with Engin Akyürek and the show’s global success brought her the “Stars of Export” award and the Giuseppe Sciacca Award from the Vatican.
Acting Style and Influence
Tuba Büyüküstün is known for her minimalist acting style, capable of conveying deep emotions through her eyes rather than exaggerated gestures. She excels in dramatic roles where she portrays the silent struggles of her characters. Additionally, she was appointed as a UNICEF Turkey Goodwill Ambassador in 2014, using her fame to raise social awareness.
Recent Projects
In recent years, Büyüküstün has focused on digital platform projects. She portrayed “Ada” in the hit Netflix series Another Self (Zeytin Ağacı), which resonated globally by exploring modern women’s connection to their roots. In 2024, she starred alongside Halit Ergenç in the mini-series Yarın Yokmuş Gibi (As If There Is No Tomorrow) on the GAİN platform.
TV Series
-
2021 – Sefirin Kızı (The Ambassador’s Daughter) – Mavi Çınar
-
2020 – Menajerimi Ara (Call My Manager) – Herself (Guest)
-
2016–2017 – Cesur ve Güzel (Brave and Beautiful) – Sühan Korludağ
-
2014–2015 – Kara Para Aşk (Black Money Love) – Elif Denizer
-
2013 – 20 Dakika (20 Minutes) – Melek Halaskar
-
2010–2011 – Gönülçelen (Becoming a Lady) – Hasret
-
2007–2009 – Asi – Asiye Kozcuoğlu
-
2005–2007 – Ihlamurlar Altında (Under the Lime Trees) – Filiz Tekiner
-
2004 – Çemberimde Gül Oya – Zarife
-
2003 – Sultan Makamı – Nesrin
Internet Projects
-
Soon – Sultana (Meral)
-
2022–Present – Another Self (Zeytin Ağacı) – Ada (Netflix)
-
2024 – Yarın Yokmuş Gibi – Manolya (GAİN)
-
2020 – Rise of Empires: Ottoman – Mara Hatun (Netflix)
Movies
-
2025 – Dehşet Bey – Abide Hürriyet
-
2017 – Daha (More) – Ahra
-
2017 – İstanbul Kırmızısı (Istanbul Red) – Neval
-
2016 – Dar Elbise (Tight Dress) – Helin
-
2015 – Orman (The Jungle) – Zeynep (Short Film)
-
2014 – Rüzgarın Hatıraları (Memories of the Wind) – Zepur
-
2010 – Yüreğine Sor – Esma
-
2006 – Sınav (The Exam) – Zeynep Erez
-
2005 – Babam ve Oğlum (My Father and My Son) – Aysun
Awards and Nominations
-
International Emmy Awards (2014): Best Actress Nominee (First from Turkey).
-
Giuseppe Sciacca Awards (2015): Best Actress.
-
Stars of Export Awards: Success award for Kara Para Aşk.
-
Serbia-Montenegro International TV Festival (2005): Best Actress (Gülizar).
-
Golden Butterfly Awards (2017): Miracle Makers Award.
Future Projects
The year 2025 will be exciting for Tuba Büyüküstün fans. She is set to star as “Abide Hürriyet” in the upcoming movie Dehşet Bey, scheduled for release in 2025. Additionally, she is preparing to appear before the audience as “Meral” in the new internet series Sultana.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. How old is Tuba Büyüküstün? Born on July 5, 1982, the actress is 43 years old as of 2025.
2. Where is Tuba Büyüküstün originally from? She was born in Istanbul but has Crimean roots on her mother’s side and Cretan roots on her father’s side.
3. Does Tuba Büyüküstün have children? Yes, she has twin daughters named Toprak and Maya (born in 2012) from her marriage to Onur Saylak.
4. Is Tuba Büyüküstün married? No, she divorced Onur Saylak in 2017 and is currently not married.
5. Was she nominated for an Emmy? Yes, she was the first Turkish actress to be nominated for “Best Actress” at the International Emmy Awards for her role in 20 Dakika.
6. What are her new projects in 2025? She will star in the movie Dehşet Bey and the internet series Sultana in 2025.
7. How tall is she? She is 1.73 meters (5 feet 8 inches) tall.
8. What did she study? She graduated from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Department of Stage Decorations and Costume Design.
9. Has she had plastic surgery? Known for her natural beauty, she has stated that she has not undergone any major aesthetic surgeries.
10. Is the series “Another Self” (Zeytin Ağacı) continuing? Yes, the series continues to air on Netflix.
s / Best Series Player / Under The Trees
2008 -İstanbul University Computer Club Awards / Best Series Player / Asi
2010 -Marmara University Mathematics Club Achievement Awards / Most Successful Female Cinema Actor / Ask Your Heart
2011 -Siyaset Magazine Best of the Year Awards / Television Actress of the Year / Gönülçelen
2011 – Radio Television Journalists Association Media Oscars / Actress of the Year / Gönülçelen
2011-Elle Style Awards Turkey / Actress Elle Style
2013 -TUROB Successful Turkish Series / Thanks Award / Under The Trees
2013 – KARVAK Best of the Year Awards / Best Actress of the Year / 20 Minutes
2014 – International Emmy Awards / Best Actress Nominee / 20 Minutes
2014 -Electrical Electronics and Service Exporters Association (TET) Cultural Service Awards / Stars of Export / Black Money Love
2015 – Radio Television Journalists Association Media Oscars / Actress of the Year / Black Money Love
2015-İTÜ EMÖS Success Awards / Most Successful Actress / Black Money Love
2015 -Uludağ University Marconi Awards / Best TV Actress / Black Money Love
2015 – International Giuseppe Sciacca Awards / Best Actress / Black Money Love
2015 – Crystal Mouse Media Awards / Best Actress / Black Money Love
2015-Electricity Electronics and Service Exporters’ Association (TET) Export Awards / Most Exported Series / Black Money Love
2015- / Suleyman Shah University Model United Nation Universities (MUNunivs) Program Peace Envoy Award -Turkey
2016 Youth Award / Best Actress TV Series Player / Black Money Love
2017 -TelevizyonDizisi.com The Best Awards / Best Drama Pair (Cesur – Sühan) / Brave and Beautiful
2017 -Sayidaty Magazine / Best Actress / Brave and Beautiful
2010-atvdiziler.com Prestige Awards / Best Actress / Gönülçelen
2010 -AyakliGazete.com Television Stars of the Year / Best Actress / Gönülçelen
2010 -TelevizyonDizisi.com Best Awards / Best Actress / Gönülçelen
2010 -DiziFilm.com Oscars / Best Drama Actress / Gönülçelen
2011 -TelevizyonDizisi.com Best Awards / Best Actress / Gönülçelen
2013 -TelevizyonDizisi.com Best Awards / Best Actress / 20 Minutes
2014 -TelevizyonDizisi.com Best Awards / Best Actress / Black Money Love
2015 -TelevizyonDizisi.com Best Awards / Best Actress / Black Money Love