Kayra Şenocak

Kayra Şenocak — Biography

Kayra Şenocak, the Turkish actor and presenter, was born in Istanbul on June 25, 1978. He began his career in the mid-1990s with television series, and over the more than thirty years since has appeared in more than thirty series and films. Having played supporting and secondary characters in numerous productions, he is best known for the character Aktemür in Diriliş Ertuğrul, broadcast on TRT 1.

He completed his acting training in the Theatre Department of the Istanbul University State Conservatory. He first appeared on camera in the 1994 series Kaygısızlar, which also featured Dolunay Soysert, Okan Yalabık, Şenay Gürler, and Gürkan Uygun; this was followed in 1997 by Böyle mi Olacaktı, in which he appeared alongside Halit Ergenç, Ceyda Düvenci, and Selma Ergeç. In 1998 he joined the cast of Aynalı Tahir, with Erkan Petekkaya, Özlem Conker, and Yeşim Büber; in 1999 he appeared in Ah Bir Zengin Olsam, whose cast included Hülya Avşar and Ayça Bingöl, and in Kurt Kapanı, with Ebru Destan and Tuba Ünsal.

In the same years he also stepped into cinema: in 1999 he appeared alongside Mehmet Günsür in Yavuz Özkan's Hayal Kurma Oyunları. Throughout the 2000s he worked regularly in television; in 2000 came Ona Bakma Bana Bak, in 2002 Kuzenlerim with Sevinç Erbulak, Füsun Erbulak, and Öner Erkan, and, the same year, Yarım Elma, with Selma Ergeç, Mustafa Üstündağ, and Barış Falay; in 2003 he reunited with Mehmet Günsür on the project Pilli Bebek. In 2004 came Büyük Buluşma and Omuz Omuza, with Pınar Altuğ, Dolunay Soysert, and Sinan Albayrak, and in 2005, İsmail Güneş's Beşinci Boyut.

2006 was one of the actor's busiest seasons; he appeared in all four of the series Gözyaşı Çetesi, Selena, Sevda Çiçeği, and Yağmurdan Sonra. In 2007 he was part of the casts of Binbir Gece, starring Halit Ergenç and Bergüzar Korel, Eksik Etek, with Özlem Conker and Civan Canova, and Gönül Salıncağı, featuring Nur Fettahoğlu. In 2008 he worked on Aman Annem Görmesin, Doludizgin Yıllar, Mert İle Gert, and Pulsar; he closed out the decade with the 2009 prison drama Parmaklıklar Ardında, directed by Hakan Gürtop and starring Fikret Kuşkan and Cengiz Bozkurt.

Şenocak entered the 2010s with İnsan Aldandı and Sudan Sebepler (2011); in 2012 he appeared in the film Sıkıysa Yakala, and in 2013 in the long-running crime drama Arka Sokaklar, directed by Orhan Oğuz. 2014 was a productive year for him: alongside the series Filinta and the film Abbas'ın Melekleri, he also joined the cast of Diriliş Ertuğrul, directed by Metin Günay.

His character Aktemür in Diriliş Ertuğrul, broadcast on TRT 1 and telling the story of Ertuğrul Gazi, became the actor's best-known role; in the series, led by Engin Altan Düzyatan, he appeared alongside names such as Aslıhan Güner, Ayberk Pekcan, Burak Hakkı, Ali Ersan Duru, and Aysun Demir. In subsequent years he was part of the casts of Evli ve Öfkeli in 2016, with Birce Akalay and Sarp Akkaya, and Muhteşem Yüzyıl: Kösem, starring Beren Saat; in 2017, Ateş Böceği, with Seçkin Özdemir and Nilay Deniz, and İsimsizler; and in 2018, the period drama Vatanım Sensin, with Halit Ergenç, Bergüzar Korel, Boran Kuzum, and Berker Güven.

Alongside acting, Kayra Şenocak also works as a presenter, and in recent years his name has also been associated with his weight-loss story; according to press reports, he lost about 45 kilograms over roughly a year and a half through diet and regular exercise, and following this transformation he began receiving more offers for lead roles. He has worked for more than thirty years, mainly in television.