Kenan Bal

Kenan Bal — Biography

Kenan Bal, whose family originates from Pazar in Rize, was born in Ankara; the family moved to Istanbul in 1959, where he graduated from Istanbul University's Faculty of Science. He worked for a time at the Istanbul Municipality's Parks and Gardens Directorate and served as a Küçükçekmece district council member, and was active in the political scene of the '78 generation before entering the film world through his friendship with Ahmet Mekin. He began acting in the series Denizin Kanı, appeared in Küçük Ağa, won the Best Supporting Actor award at the Golden Orange festival in 1996 for the film Düş, Gerçek, Bir de Sinema, and appeared in Salkım Hanımın Taneleri. His breakout came as Ali Hamzaoğlu, the character he played in Asmalı Konak and the film that continued its story, and he went on to take roles in many productions including Kampüsistan, Çemberimde Gül Oya, Şubat Soğuğu, Hırsız Polis, Çemberin Dışında, İki Yabancı, Güz Sancısı, Asi, Gazi and Sürgün Hayatlar. In 2013, following an incident in which he slapped his co-star Gül Onat on set, prosecutors sought a prison sentence against him. He played Necip Ilgaz in Lale Devri, and in later years appeared in Yedi Güzel Adam, Hayat Ağacı, Oyunbozan, Tarla and Somuncu Baba: Aşkın Sırrı; he played Fazıl in Aşk ve Mavi, and in 2024 took on the role of Asaf in Bir Gece Masalı, marking his return to series television.