Yiğit Özşener is a Turkish actor of screen and stage, born in İzmir, April 6, 1972. He completed his undergraduate studies in BS in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering at Yıldız Technical University and his MBA at Koç University, İstanbul. In 1994, he joined a theatre assemble called The Studio Players. He’s trained by Sahika Tekand, an internationally recognized director, who developed ‘The Performative Staging and Acting Method’. He participated to the acting workshops of Ellen Lauren (1995), Theodoros Terzopoulos (1996), Jerzy Grotowsky & Thomas Richards (2004), Shizuoka Performing Arts Center (2006), Natsuko Ohama, David Bridel ve Susan Main (2014).
THEATRE
His acting career began on stage. He played in Gergedanlaşma (based on Rhinoceros by Eugène Ionesco), Gitgel Dolap (based on The Dumb Waiter by Harold Pinter) and Oyuncu by Sahika Tekand. In 2000, he moved to Athens to work with Theodoros Terzopoulos in Attis Theatre. His debut on the international stage was in 2000; he played in Heracles Triology in the 10th International Greek Drama Festival in Greece. In 2006, he played in Persians in the 4th Theatre Olympics and in the Athens & Epidaurus Festival. Besides his commitment and popularity on screen during 2000’s, he continued to remain active on stage. He played in Evridike’nin Çığlığı based on Antigone by Sophocles, 10 Adımda Unutmak based on Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus, Göl Kıyısı based on The Water’s Edge by Theresa Rebeck and Godot’yu Beklerken based on Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett. In 2019, he is invited to play Godot’yu Beklerken in the 9th Theatre Olympics in Japan. In 2020, he played IO; an original play by Sahika Tekand in which she reckons with Olympos and Zeus through a female mythological character.
Yiğit Özşener's first solo play Aşınma premiered in 2021 and he won the ‘Best Actor’ at Afife Theatre Awards for his outstanding solo performance (2022). He is recently playing Kel Diva based on The Bald Soprano by Eugène Ionesco.(2023-24)
TELEVISION
His debut on TV was a Turkish drama series called Karanlıkta Koşanlar. (2011) His exceptional performance led to his involvement permanently in drama series in the upcoming years. Consecutively; he acted in Üzgünüm Leyla, Unutma Beni, Estağfurullah Yokuşu, Arapsaçı, 24 Saat, Kabuslar Evi, Rüya Gibi, Dudaktan Kalbe, Ezel, Son, İntikam, Yüz Yıllık Mühür, Cesur ve Güzel, Ramo, Kırmızı Oda, Barbaroslar. Among those series; Dudaktan Kalbe (2008-09), Ezel (2010-11)and Cesur ve Güzel (2017) aired in more than 150 countries in Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia, the U.S. and Latin America, achieving phenomenal success. Turkish TV series made a significant leap in those year, and still ranking second after the U.S. in global TV series sales.
He is recently acting a leading role in Şahane Hayatım on FOX. (2023-24)
CINEMA
His debut on cinema was Crude; an American movie directed by Paxton Winters. (2003) The movie was the winner of the Target Filmmaker Award for Best Narrative Feature at the Los Angeles Film Festival (2003), Honorable Mention in New American Cinema at the Seattle International Film Festival (2003) and was also an official selection at the Torino and Stockholm Festivals (2003). Thereafter, he acted in big budget productions; O Şimdi Asker, Çalınan Ceset, Gece 11.45, One Day in Europe, Tombala, 5 Vakit, Güneşi Gördüm, Aşk Tesadüfleri Sever, Kaybedenler Kulübü, Dedemin İnsanları, Bir Kahramanın Rüyası, İşe Yarar Bir Şey and Kaybedenler Kulübü Yolda. Among those movies, İşe Yarar Bir Şey won the FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) Award in the Istanbul Film Festival (2017) and the Best Screenplay Award in Tallinn International Film Festival (2017).
His latest movie is Zaferin Rengi in which he portrayed Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. (2024)
DIGITAL PLATFORMS
His debut on digital platforms was on BluTV (the leading online platform for Turkish series in the Middle East, North Africa and Latin America.) He played the starring role in a ten- episode crime series called Bozkır (The Steppe) in 2018. When Warner Bros. entered the Turkish market by the signing of a partnership agreement with BluTV, the second season of Bozkır was aired in 2023. Same year, the series advanced to the semifinalist round in the Best Drama category in the Berlin TV Series Festival.
ENVIROMENTAL WORK
Yiğit Özşener is a committed environmentalist. He is in the board of trustees and brand ambassador of TEMA Foundation, Turkey's largest and leading environmental NGO. In 2020, he produced a podcast series for Istanbul Culture and Art Foundation about ‘Art can motivate people to act on climate change’. The podcast series is awarded as the ‘Best Art Podcast of the Year’ in the Power Podcast Awards. In 2021, he participated to ‘The Climate Connection Culture & Environment Roundtable’ hosted by Julie’s Bicycle alongside British Council. In 2022, he became of the 14 speakers from across the globe come together to share their thoughts on the intersection between arts, culture and climate for a film produced by Julie’s Bicycle. This short film has been shared with policy makers and representatives from cultural institutions, funders, youth networks, and local initiatives in UK, as well as in Nations Climate Change Conference.
THEATRE
His acting career began on stage. He played in Gergedanlaşma (based on Rhinoceros by Eugène Ionesco), Gitgel Dolap (based on The Dumb Waiter by Harold Pinter) and Oyuncu by Sahika Tekand. In 2000, he moved to Athens to work with Theodoros Terzopoulos in Attis Theatre. His debut on the international stage was in 2000; he played in Heracles Triology in the 10th International Greek Drama Festival in Greece. In 2006, he played in Persians in the 4th Theatre Olympics and in the Athens & Epidaurus Festival. Besides his commitment and popularity on screen during 2000’s, he continued to remain active on stage. He played in Evridike’nin Çığlığı based on Antigone by Sophocles, 10 Adımda Unutmak based on Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus, Göl Kıyısı based on The Water’s Edge by Theresa Rebeck and Godot’yu Beklerken based on Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett. In 2019, he is invited to play Godot’yu Beklerken in the 9th Theatre Olympics in Japan. In 2020, he played IO; an original play by Sahika Tekand in which she reckons with Olympos and Zeus through a female mythological character.
Yiğit Özşener's first solo play Aşınma premiered in 2021 and he won the ‘Best Actor’ at Afife Theatre Awards for his outstanding solo performance (2022). He is recently playing Kel Diva based on The Bald Soprano by Eugène Ionesco.(2023-24)
TELEVISION
His debut on TV was a Turkish drama series called Karanlıkta Koşanlar. (2011) His exceptional performance led to his involvement permanently in drama series in the upcoming years. Consecutively; he acted in Üzgünüm Leyla, Unutma Beni, Estağfurullah Yokuşu, Arapsaçı, 24 Saat, Kabuslar Evi, Rüya Gibi, Dudaktan Kalbe, Ezel, Son, İntikam, Yüz Yıllık Mühür, Cesur ve Güzel, Ramo, Kırmızı Oda, Barbaroslar. Among those series; Dudaktan Kalbe (2008-09), Ezel (2010-11)and Cesur ve Güzel (2017) aired in more than 150 countries in Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia, the U.S. and Latin America, achieving phenomenal success. Turkish TV series made a significant leap in those year, and still ranking second after the U.S. in global TV series sales.
He is recently acting a leading role in Şahane Hayatım on FOX. (2023-24)
CINEMA
His debut on cinema was Crude; an American movie directed by Paxton Winters. (2003) The movie was the winner of the Target Filmmaker Award for Best Narrative Feature at the Los Angeles Film Festival (2003), Honorable Mention in New American Cinema at the Seattle International Film Festival (2003) and was also an official selection at the Torino and Stockholm Festivals (2003). Thereafter, he acted in big budget productions; O Şimdi Asker, Çalınan Ceset, Gece 11.45, One Day in Europe, Tombala, 5 Vakit, Güneşi Gördüm, Aşk Tesadüfleri Sever, Kaybedenler Kulübü, Dedemin İnsanları, Bir Kahramanın Rüyası, İşe Yarar Bir Şey and Kaybedenler Kulübü Yolda. Among those movies, İşe Yarar Bir Şey won the FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) Award in the Istanbul Film Festival (2017) and the Best Screenplay Award in Tallinn International Film Festival (2017).
His latest movie is Zaferin Rengi in which he portrayed Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. (2024)
DIGITAL PLATFORMS
His debut on digital platforms was on BluTV (the leading online platform for Turkish series in the Middle East, North Africa and Latin America.) He played the starring role in a ten- episode crime series called Bozkır (The Steppe) in 2018. When Warner Bros. entered the Turkish market by the signing of a partnership agreement with BluTV, the second season of Bozkır was aired in 2023. Same year, the series advanced to the semifinalist round in the Best Drama category in the Berlin TV Series Festival.
ENVIROMENTAL WORK
Yiğit Özşener is a committed environmentalist. He is in the board of trustees and brand ambassador of TEMA Foundation, Turkey's largest and leading environmental NGO. In 2020, he produced a podcast series for Istanbul Culture and Art Foundation about ‘Art can motivate people to act on climate change’. The podcast series is awarded as the ‘Best Art Podcast of the Year’ in the Power Podcast Awards. In 2021, he participated to ‘The Climate Connection Culture & Environment Roundtable’ hosted by Julie’s Bicycle alongside British Council. In 2022, he became of the 14 speakers from across the globe come together to share their thoughts on the intersection between arts, culture and climate for a film produced by Julie’s Bicycle. This short film has been shared with policy makers and representatives from cultural institutions, funders, youth networks, and local initiatives in UK, as well as in Nations Climate Change Conference.