Ayten Gökçer

Ayten Gökçer — Biography

Ayten Gökçer was one of the best-known actresses of Turkish theatre and the State Theatres; although she worked in film, she tied her career to the stage from start to finish. She is remembered above all for the title role of Hürmüz in the musical Yedi Kocalı Hürmüz and, late in her career, for Belgin in the series Yılan Hikâyesi. A State Artist, she died in Istanbul on 14 May 2024, aged 84.

Born Kaçmaz, she entered the ballet department of the Ankara State Conservatory in 1953. She joined the Ankara State Theatre company in 1958 and over the years took leading parts in plays such as My Fair Lady, Kaktüs Çiçeği (Cactus Flower), Mançalı Don Kişot, Vanya Dayı, Bağdat Hatun and Ustalar Sınıfı (Master Class); she also directed Balerin. She entered cinema in 1965 with Atıf Yılmaz's Taçsız Kral, then appeared in 501 Numaralı Hücre and İçli Kız Funda, but always gave theatre priority. She came to television in 1999 with Yılan Hikâyesi, followed by the series Patron Kim? and Çat Kapı, the film Hoşçakal Güzin and her last film, İstanbul Kırmızısı (2017).

She received the Art Enthusiasts Association's best actress of the year award and a Ministry of Culture service award. She was married to the theatre man Cüneyt Gökçer, long-time head of the State Theatres, and is buried beside him at Zincirlikuyu Cemetery.