Kemal Sunal

Stage and film actor (B. November 11^th, 1944 Istanbul –D. July 3^rd, 2000, Istanbul). Graduate of Mimar Sinan Elementary School and Vefa Lisesi. He started his higher education in Marmara University Department of Journalism, however dropped out of school during the 12 September (1980) period. During and after his education, he worked at Emayetaş Factory and was an electrician apprentice. In 1955, he graduated from Marmara University Communication Faculty Radio Television and Cinema Department, the university that he had dropped out of and then he did his master’s degree. He analyzed the ideological intervention of the governments to artistic fields by doing a sociological analyze of his own films in his master’s thesis, which was published after its completion as a book called Tv ve Sinemada Kemal Sunal Güldürüsü.

Sunal started to take an interest in theater during his high school years and prepared shows at schools. In those years he played a role in a theater play called Zoraki Tabip. Through his philosophy teacher Belkıs Balkır at Vefa Lisesi he met with Müşfik Kenter. After working as a professional actor for the first time in Kenterler Theater he worked at Ulvi Uraz Theater for a long time and Ayfer Feray Theater for a short time and lastly at Devekuşu Kabare Theater. In a play he played at Devekuşu Kabare Theater, Ertem Eğilmez liked him very much and thus Sunal moved to cinema. The first role he played was a basketball player in the film Tatlı Dilim directed by Ertem Eğilmez in 1973 because of his tall figure. After that he started to play in films directed by Ertem Eğilmez with big casts.

In Turkish cinema, primarily with his İnek Şaban typecasting, his distinct figure and because the public accepted and felt close to the characters he played, he became one of the most loved comedians of Turkey. Because the public loved İnek Şaban, he played the role of Şaban in many films. He married in 1974. He had two children called Ali and Ezo. Sunal received the Best Male Actor award in Antalya Film Festival in 1977 with the film Kapıcılar Kralı and was chosen by Cinema Authors’ Association (SİYAD) as the best male actor in 1978. In 1989, he received the Best Male Actor award in Ankara Film Festival with the film Düttürü Dünya and the Lifelong Honor Award in Antalya Film Festival in 1998. His films started to be broadcasted on televisions uninterruptedly as of 1990s. On July 3^rd, 2000, he died of a heart attack shortly before the takeoff of the plane he boarded to fly to Trabzon to start the shooting of the film called Balalayka. He was buried in Zincirlikuyu Cemetary in Istanbul.

WORKS:

Tatlı Dillim (1972), Canım Kardeşim (1973), Güllü Geliyor Güllü (1973), Oh Olsun (1973), Yalancı Yarim (1973), Hasret (1974), Köyden İndim Şehire (1974), Mavi Boncuk (1974), Salak Milyoner (1974), Salako (1974), Hababam Sınıfı (1975), Hanzo (1975), Şaşkın Damat (1975), Tosun Paşa (1976), Hababam Sınıfı Sınıfta Kaldı (1976), Kapıcılar Kralı (1976), Meraklı Köfteci (1976), Sahte Kabadayı (1976), Süt Kardeşler (1976), Şabanoğlu Şaban (1977), Çöpçüler Kralı (1977), Hababam Sınıfı Uyanıyor (1977), İbo ile Güllüşah (1977), Sakar Şakir (1977), Kibar Feyzo (1978), Hababam Sınıfı Tatilde (1978), Avanak Abdi (1978), İnek Şaban (1978), İyi Aile Çocuğu (1978), Köşeyi Dönen Adam (1978), Yüz Numaralı Adam (1978), Bekçiler Kralı (1979), Dokunmayın Şabanıma (1979), Korkusuz Korkak (1979), Şark Bülbülü (1979), Umudumuz Şaban (1979), Devlet Kuşu (1980), Gerzek Şaban (1980), Zübük (1980), Gol Kralı (1981), Davaro (1981), Kanlı Nigar (1981), Üç Kâğıtçı (1981), Doktor Civanım (1982), Yedi Bela Hüsnü (1982), Çarıklı Milyoner (1983), En Büyük Şaban (1983), Kılıbık (1983), Tokatçı (1983), Atla Gel Şaban (1984), Ortadirek Şaban (1984), Postacı (1984), Şabaniye (1984), Gurbetçi Şaban (1985), Katma Değer Şaban (1985), Keriz (1985), Şen Dul Şaban (1985), Şaban Pabucu Yarım (1985), Sosyete Şaban (1985), Davacı (1986), Deli Deli Küpeli (1986), Tarzan Rıfkı (1986), Garip (1986), Yoksul (1986), Japon İşi (1987), Kiracı (1987), Yakışıklı (1987), Sevimli Hırsız (1988), Uyanık Gazeteci (1988), Bıçkın (1988), Düttürü Dünya (1988), İnatçı (1988), Öğretmen (1988), Polizei (1988), Talih Kuşu (1989), Zehir Hafiye (1989), Koltuk Belası (1990), Boynu Bükük Küheylan (1990), Gülen Adam (1990), Abuk sabuk Bir Film (1990), Varyemez (1991), Saygilar Bizden (1992), Saban Askerde (1993), Saban ile Sirin (Television series, 1995), Bay Kamber (Television series, 1996), Propaganda (1999).

REFERENCE: Atilla Dorsay / Türk ve Dünya Sineması Ansiklopedisi (Turhan Gürkan ile, 1983), Büyük Larousse (c. 18, s. 10871, 1986), Sevim Ak / Mahalle Sineması (1996), Nuran Turan / Kemal Sunal Çocukken (2000), Feriha Karasu Gürses / Kemal Sunal Film Başka Yaşam Başka (2002), Giovanni Scognamillo / Türk Sinema Tarihi (2. bas. 2003), Alim Şerif Onaran / 20. Yüzyılın Son Beş Yılında Türk Sineması (2005), Agâh Özgüç / Türk Filmleri Sözlüğü 1917-2009 (2009),  Vadullah Taş / Kemal Sunal Filmlerini Anlatıyor (2011), İhsan Işık / Ünlü Sanatçılar (Türkiye Ünlüleri Ansiklopedisi, C. 5, 2013) - Encyclopedia of Turkey’s Famous People (2013), Gül Sunal eşi Kemal Sunal'ı anlattı (youtube.com, 3 Temmuz 2019).