Birol Ünel

Birol Ünel — Biography

Birol Ünel was born on 18 August 1961 in Silifke, near Mersin, and grew up in Brinkum, near Bremen, after his family relocated to Germany in 1968. He trained in acting at the music and theatre academy in Hanover, worked earlier at the Berlin Tacheles theatre, and made his screen debut in the 1987 film Der Passagier. The turning point of his career came with his portrayal of Cahit Tomruk, a self-destructive alcoholic, in Fatih Akın's Duvara Karşı, a performance that won him the German Film Award and a nomination for the European Film Award. He continued working with Akın on Soul Kitchen, and also appeared in productions such as Hırsız Var!, King of Thieves, Temmuz'da, Kar Yağmadan Önce, Looking for Eimish and Sleepless Night across German and Turkish film, television and stage work. In his later years he struggled with financial hardship and alcoholism and spent a period homeless. After a long battle with cancer, he passed away at a Berlin clinic on 3 September of 2020.