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50 Facts about Beren Saat, The Famous Actress Who Redefined Turkish Television with Iconic Roles from Bihter to Fatmagül
50 Facts about Beren Saat, The Famous Actress Who Redefined Turkish Television with Iconic Roles from Bihter to Fatmagül – Pioneering the Global Recognition of Dizi Dramas
In the heart of Ankara, on February 26, 1984, a luminary was born—Beren Saat. From her earliest days at TED Ankara College Foundation Private High School to her meteoric rise in Turkish entertainment, Beren Saat’s journey has been captivating. Discovered by director Tomris Giritlioğlu, Saat’s foray into acting commenced with the Turkish TV series “Aşkımızda Ölüm Var” (2004), marking the genesis of a career that would redefine Turkish television.
Her unforgettable portrayals as the enigmatic Bihter in “Aşk-ı Memnu” and the resilient Fatmagül in “Fatmagül’ün Suçu Ne?” further propelled dizi dramas to global fame, solidifying her status as an icon in the realm of Turkish television.
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1. Beren Saat was born on 26 February 1984 in Ankara, Turkey.
2. Her parents are Ayla Saat (née Dikmen) and Hüseyin Avni Saat, both graduates of a sports academy. She has an older brother named Cem Saat.
3. Beren Saat attended TED Ankara College Foundation Private High School in Ankara.
4. She briefly studied at Başkent University’s Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences before pursuing acting.
5. In 2004, Beren Saat participated in an acting competition called Türkiye’nin Yıldızları, where she became the first runner-up with the support of her college friends.
6. Between 2004 and 2005, she appeared in TV commercials for Tofita, directed by Sinan Çetin.
7. Beren Saat was discovered by director Tomris Giritlioğlu and made her debut in the Turkish series Aşkımızda Ölüm Var.
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2004–08: Aşka Sürgün and Hatırla Sevgili
8. Beren Saat portrayed Nermin in the TV series “Aşkımızda Ölüm Var” in 2004, directed by Nazif Tunç and Ümit Efekan. Her character was the sister of Ece Uslu’s character.
9. In 2005, she starred as Zilan Şahvar Azizoğlu in the Turkish drama series “Aşka Sürgün,” produced by Tomris Giritlioğlu and directed by Cemal Şan. Her co-star in this TV series was Mahsun Kırmızıgül.
10. In 2006, Beren Saat played Yasemin Ünsal in the popular Turkish TV romantic series “Hatırla Sevgili,” directed by Faruk Teber and Ümmü Burha. She shared the leading role with Cansel Elçin and Okan Yalabık. The TV series focused on political events from 1950–70 and garnered Saat nationwide fame.
11. In 2007, Beren Saat appeared as a guest on episode 121 of the sitcom “Avrupa Yakası.”
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2008-10: Bihter Era
12. Beren Saat, cast as Bihter Yöreoğlu Ziyagil in the romantic drama series “Aşk-ı Memnu” (Forbidden Love) from 2008 to 2010, marked a pivotal moment in her career.
13. Directed by Hilal Saral and featuring an ensemble cast including Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ, Selçuk Yöntem, and Nebahat Çehre, “Aşk-ı Memnu” captivated audiences with its gripping storyline adapted from Halid Ziya Uşaklıgil’s novel. The TV series revolves around Bihter’s forbidden love affair with her husband’s young nephew, Behlül (portrayed by Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ).
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14. “Aşk-ı Memnu” received widespread acclaim and became the most-watched TV series in Turkish television history.
15. The final episode of “Aşk-ı Memnu,” titled “Veda,” was quite popular, with three out of every four people in Turkey tuning in to watch it.
16. Despite facing occasional complaints from regulatory bodies such as RTÜK, the Turkish TV drama series “Aşk-ı Memnu” propelled Saat to international stardom, particularly in the Middle East and Europe.
17. She won two Golden Butterfly Awards for her role as Bihter in “Aşk-ı Memnu” and was the first nominee to win the award for two consecutive years.
18. The success of the series “Aşk-ı Memnu” led to its adaptation in Italy in 2010 and the United States in 2012.
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19. Despite her initial success on television, Beren Saat encountered obstacles when transitioning to feature films. The Turkish actress Beren Saat made her film debut in 2008, with “Güz Sancısı” (Pains of Autumn) cast as the character of the Greek prostitute Elena, alongside Murat Yıldırım, Okan Yalabık, and Belçim Bilgin, under the direction of Tomris Giritlioğlu.
20. In 2009, Saat ventured into another leading role in Serdar Akar’s film “Gecenin Kanatları” (Wings of the Night), sharing the screen with Murat Ünalmış, Erkan Petekkaya, and Yavuz Bingöl. However, controversy erupted over a contentious sex scene involving Beren Saat and co-star Murat Ünalmış, leading to her facing substantial backlash when images of the scene were included in the film’s trailer against her wishes.
As a result, she did not attend the film’s premiere and later pursued legal action against the producer, although she ultimately withdrew the case in 2013
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21. In 2010, Beren Saat contributed her voice to the Turkish version of the highly acclaimed animated film “Toy Story 3,” voicing the character of Barbie alongside Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ as Ken.
22. Additionally, in 2010, Beren Saat became the face of the chip brand Patos, participating in numerous commercials and advertisements, which notably bolstered the brand’s sales by 45%. Furthermore, she secured endorsements as the face of Rexona in the same year.
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2010-12: Fatmagül Era
23. Despite her previous success with Bihter, Beren Saat encountered challenging themes in her role in the Turkish TV drama series “Fatmagül’ün Suçu Ne?” in 2010. The drama series, adapted from Vedat Türkali’s 1986 movie, was directed by Hilal Saral and written by Ece Yörenç and Melek Gençoğlu.
24. Beren Saat portrayed the character of Fatmagül Ketenci Ilgaz, a victim of rape, alongside her co-star and friend from Türkiye’nin Yıldızları competition, Engin Akyürek.
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25. One of the most controversial aspects of the Fatmagül series was the dramatic rape scene in the first episode, which garnered significant attention and broke rating records. Despite the controversy, the Fatmagül series was well-received by audiences and emerged as one of the top-rated series in recent years.
26. However, the Fatmagül series faced scrutiny and was even brought to the attention of parliament due to its sexual content, sparking a campaign to stop its broadcast.
27. Despite the criticism, the series received support from some quarters, including a statement from several deputies of the Bundesrat of Germany applauding its emphasis on women’s rights.
28. Moreover, Saat’s portrayal of Fatmagül sparked the creation of a video game featuring her character. The game, which allowed players to dress Saat’s character with various wardrobe items, became highly popular upon its release.
29. Saat’s compelling performance in the Fatmagül series earned her a nomination for an Antalya Television Award in the Best Drama Series Actress category, showcasing her talent and versatility as an actress.
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30. The Turkish couple Beren Saat and Kenan Doğulu began dating in February 2012. They got engaged on 23 February 2014 in Istanbul and were married on 29 July 2014 in a private ceremony in Los Angeles, California, US.
31. In 2012, Beren Saat ventured into her third film, “Rhino Season,” directed by Iranian filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi, which premiered at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival.
In this role, Beren Saat portrayed Buse, the daughter of Monica Bellucci’s character, alongside a talented ensemble cast that included Turkish actors Yılmaz Erdoğan, Caner Cindoruk, and Belçim Bilgin, as well as Iranian actors Behrouz Vossoughi and Arash.
32. In September 2012, the animated movie “Brave” premiered in Turkey, with Saat providing the Turkish voice for the character of Merida.
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33. At the end of 2012, Beren Saat started filming the Turkish drama thriller “İntikam,” based on the American TV series “Revenge.” Returning to television after a six-month hiatus, Saat dedicated herself to private lessons to enhance her fighting skills for her role.
34. The Turkish drama”İntikam,” which premiered in January 2013, featured Saat as the character Derin Çelik/Yağmur Özden alongside co-stars Mert Fırat, Yiğit Özşener, Zafer Algöz, Arzu Gamze Kılınç, and Engin Hepileri.
35. Moreover, in 2013, Saat became the face of the “Duru Perfume Duş Jeli” brand, featuring prominently in an advertising film that required two days of shooting.
36. Additionally, in the summer of 2013, Saat took on the lead role in the film “Benim Dünyam,” a remake of the 2005 Indian movie “Black.” In this film, Beren Saat portrayed the role of Ela Bayındır, a blind, deaf, and mute individual.
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Kösem Era
37. In 2014, plans for the Turkish TV historical drama series “Muhteşem Yüzyıl: Kösem” were unveiled, set to premiere in September 2015. Beren Saat was among the potential candidates considered for the leading role of Kösem Sultan, alongside other actresses such as Bergüzar Korel, Tuba Büyüküstün, and Hazal Kaya.
38. Despite initial denials from the show’s producer, Timur Savcı, regarding the casting decisions, in June 2015, they announced that Beren Saat would indeed portray Kösem Sultan in the series.
39. Beren Saat entered the Kösem series from episode 7 and concluded her role after filming the first season. Her co-stars in the Kösem series included Hülya Avşar, Mete Horozoğlu, and Erkan Kolçak Köstendil.
She was the middle-age version of Kösem Sultan.
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40. In July 2015, Beren Saat and her husband appeared in an advertising campaign for Arçelik, featuring action scenes by Saat and musical performances by Kenan Doğulu.
41. Additionally, in the same month, Saat lent her voice to the character Scarlet Overkill in the Turkish version of the animated film “Minions,” which premiered in Turkey in September 2015. Her husband, Kenan Doğulu, also provided the voice for the character of Herb Overkill in the same film.
2019-21: Atiye Era
42. Beren Saat’s involvement in the Netflix fantasy series “Atiye” was announced in March 2019, with filming commencing the same month. The Netflix series revolves around a painter named Atiye, who discovers a mysterious connection between the symbols in her paintings and an archaeological dig at Göbeklitepe.
43. The Turkish Netflix drama “Atiye” was featured on BBC’s list of of 10 most recommended series for December 2019.
44. The first season of the Turkish TV series “Atiye” premiered on December 27, 2019, followed by the second season on September 10, 2020, and the third and final season on June 17, 2021.
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45. The Atiye series garnered immense popularity, becoming the most-watched show within three days of its release in 2019. “Atiye” also achieved international success, topping Netflix’s charts in various countries and entering the platform’s worldwide top 10, marking it as the 8th most-watched Turkish series globally.
46. According to data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey, “Atiye” contributed significantly to the increase in tourists visiting Göbeklitepe, the world’s oldest known temple site, attracting around 20 million viewers internationally.
47. Saat’s performance in the Netflix fantasy series “Atiye” earned her the Best Actress award at the Golden Artemis Awards for Digital Series at the Izmir International Film Festival in September 2020.
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48. Following the success of “Atiye,” Beren Saat announced her collaboration with Netflix on a new project, where she served as the Turkish narrator for the documentary mini-series ” Dünya’da Gece // Night on Earth,” released on January 29, 2020.
49. In 2021, Beren Saat became the face of BMW’s advertising campaign, further solidifying her status as a globally recognized figure.
50. In 2014, after 14 years since their series Aşk-ı Memnu (2008), Beren Saat and Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ reunited in the Netflix romantic movie ‘Last Call for Istanbul.’ The movie revolves around Serin and Mehmet, who coincidentally cross paths at an airport in Istanbul on their way to New York. However, there’s a catch – both Serin and Mehmet are married, adding a layer of complexity to their newfound connection.
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