İpek Bilgin

İpek Bilgin — Biography

İpek Bilgin, born Fatma İpek Bilgin, came into the world in Istanbul on March 24, 1956. She spent many years as an actress with the Ankara State Theatre, appearing in plays such as Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh and Murathan Mungan's Geyikler Lanetler, and also directed productions including İkinci Caddenin Mahkumu and Peynirli Yumurta; in the 2010s and 2020s she continued performing on independent stages such as Craft Tiyatro and Tiyatro Dot, including a 2022 production of Tennessee Williams's The Glass Menagerie.

Her television career began in 2005 with Hırsız Polis, and after roles in Bıçak Sırtı, Ezel, 20 Dakika and Maral, she became widely known for playing Esma Boran in İstanbullu Gelin. On screen she has appeared in the films İki Genç Kız, Hokkabaz, Kelebeğin Rüyası, Hükümet Kadın, Meryem, İstanbul Kırmızısı and O da Bir Şey mi, as well as the 2026 film Yellow Letters. Bilgin, who has translated acting books by Eric Morris and Joan Hotchkis into Turkish, shared the Best Actress award with Aylin Damcıoğlu at the 2000 Art Institution Theatre Awards, and is the mother of actress Çağ Çalışkur.