Nejat İşler

Nejat İşler — Biography

Nejat İşler was born on 29 February 1972 in Istanbul's Eyüpsultan district. After Cağaloğlu Anatolian High School, he enrolled in the Theatre Department of Mimar Sinan University's State Conservatory in 1991, taking roles in state theatre and television series while still a student; after graduating in 1995 he co-founded a theatre company with friends.

He appeared in series such as Gurur, Deli Yürek, Şehnaz Tango, Dedem Gofret ve Ben, Aşk ve Gurur, Gülbeyaz and Aliye, and made his film debut in 1999 with Eylül Fırtınası. He drew festival attention with the films Barda and Yumurta, and was part of the cast of Winter Sleep (Kış Uykusu), which won the Palme d'Or at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. Through the Behzat Ç. series, Keşanlı Ali Destanı, İntikam and Bodrum Masalı he became one of Turkish television's most sought-after actors, and in recent years has appeared in productions including Aile, Zaferin Rengi and Evcilik.

In 2026 he returned to the spotlight with a leading role as Chief Inspector Nevzat in İstanbul Hatırası, a Netflix series adapted from the novel by Ahmet Ümit.