Defne Kayalar

Defne Kayalar — Biography

Defne Kayalar is an actress and producer who has combined production and acting and works on stage as well as screen. Wide audiences know her as Sedef Kaya in Medcezir; for international viewers the defining part was the psychiatrist Peri in Netflix's Bir Başkadır (Ethos). In 2026 she was reported to have won a best actress award for her performance in the film Aniden.

Her career began intertwined with production: after studying graphic design at Bilkent University and working as an assistant at Istanbul Bilgi University, she produced Alacakaranlık with Uğur Yücel in 2003 and the film Yazı Tura in 2004. On the acting side she appeared in Salkım Hanımın Taneleri (1999), Keskin Bıçak and 20 Dakika; in 2014 she joined Medcezir as an end-of-season guest and soon moved into the main cast. The same year she married the series' director, Ali Bilgin, and in 2015 she appeared in his film Delibal.

Later she moved to digital platforms: Nesrin in Bu Şehir Arkandan Gelecek, Peri in Bir Başkadır, Beril in Saklı, Ece in Ayak İşleri, and from 2022 Gül in Kuş Uçuşu. She also took a part in the Disney+ series Arayış and joined Kanal D's Yargı in 2024 as prosecutor İclal. On stage she has appeared in Berkun Oya's Babamın Cesetleri and Florian Zeller's Anne.