Begüm Akkaya

Begüm Akkaya — Biography

Begüm Akkaya is an actress who has collected awards for her work in independent cinema while working steadily on television. She became best known for her performance in Kuma, which earned her the Best Actress award at both the Molodist International Film Festival and the Philadelphia Film Festival. In recent years she has appeared in the series Aşkı Hatırla and Bambaşka Biri, and in the 2026 film Sultana.

She trained in theater at the Istanbul University State Conservatory and first stood in front of a camera in 2005, in the series Beşinci Boyut. Her early years brought series such as Doktorlar, Yeşeren Düşler and Kapalı Çarşı, and films including Aşk Tutulması, Hür Adam and 72. Koğuş. The turning point was a trio of films in 2012-2013: Kuma, Mavi Dalga and Nergis Hanım. In the same period she built up her television presence with Muhteşem Yüzyıl, Uçurum, 20 Dakika and Bugünün Saraylısı. Altınsoylar, Aşk ve Gurur, Kurşun and Yeni Hayat followed; she played Seher in Çukur and Vildan in Baba.

Her awards include the Ekrem Bora Promising Young Actress Award at the 20th Sadri Alışık Awards for Mavi Dalga, and, for Nergis Hanım, the Türkan Şoray Promising Young Actress Award at the Adana Golden Boll Film Festival and the Young Witch Award at the Uçan Süpürge International Women's Film Festival. Her father disappeared in a ship accident in the Adriatic Sea in 2014; she spoke publicly about the loss years later.