Cüneyt Gökçer

Director, Theatre Actor/Actress, Actor/Actress

Death
23 December, 2009
Education
State Arts Conservatory Theatre Faculty

Movie and theater actor, director (B. 1920, Malatya – D. December 23th, 2009, Ankara). He was the husband of Ayten Gökçer who is also an actress just like him. He started to be interested in theater at a young age; so, he enrolled to Ankara People’s Houses’ presentation group. While he was the head of the presentation group of the People’s Houses; he was noticed by the famous playwright and poet of the time, Ercüment Behzat Lav. His first leading performance was the play of a Turkish playwright in 1936. Afterwards, he passed the entrance exam of arts conservatory and he graduated from the Theatre Faculty at the State Arts Conservatory in 1942. He assisted famous actor Carl Ebert whom he met during his university years. After a while, he was assigned as the mimic and stage teacher to the Arts Conservatory. He took the stage for performing many characters on Tatbikat Sahnesi (1942-47) and he performed in many plays at the State Theatre, of which he contributed to the establishment. Thanks to his performances in the plays of Sophokles, Shakespeare, Moliére, Emile; he became popular both abroad and in Turkey.

During the second directorship of Muhsin Ertuğrul at the Directorate of State Theatre (1954-58), he developed as an actor and director. Following this, he won the on the state scholarship and went to Europe where he worked as assistant director in the theaters like Commedia Française, Thalia Theater. When he returned to Turkey; he was assigned to the directorship of the State Theaters on 25th August 1958 and he stayed in the position until 1983.

Gökçer made important works aim to improve the opera and ballet arts. He benefited from Italian musicians and English choreographers, especially from Dame Ninetto de Valois. He took the stage as the leading character, as well as the director in “Kiss Me Kate” which was the first musical of the State Theatres in 1963. Besides the theatre, he also took roles in the movies between the years of 1951-98.

He took the title of professor in 1985 and became the head of the theatre faculty at Ankara State Conservatory in Hacettepe University. Then, he served as the head of Theatre Department at Music and Performing Arts Faculty in Bilkent University for years, which he contributed for establishment.

Cüneyt Gökçer won the “The Best Actor” in 1964 and 1970, “The Best Director” in 1967 Prizes of Ankara Art Enthusiasts Association. He was also deemed worthy of Muhsin Ertuğrul Special Award and was honored with the title of State Artist on 1981.

WORKS:

PLAYS (AS AN ACTOR): Antigone (1942), Julius Caesar (1942), Kibarlık Budalası (1944), Lokantacı, Faust, Bizim Şehir, Yanlışlıklar Komedyası (1946), Köşe Başı (1947), Size Öyle Geliyorsa Öyledir, Paydos, On İkinci Gece (1948), Yarasa, Hamlet (1950), Çayhane, Bir Yaz Gecesi Rüyası (1951), Kral Lear (1951 ve 1982), Mary Stuart, Fatih (1953), Fareler ve İnsanlar (1954), Şatoya Davet (1955), Küskünler Kahvesi (1967), Bağdat, Hatun (1974), Tarla Kuşuydu Juliet (1976), Gılgamış (1978), Midas'ın Kulakları (1978), Yedi Kocalı Hürmüz (1979), IV. Murat (1980), Tamirci, (1985), Kim Korkar Hain Kurttan? (1986).

MOVIES (AS AN ACTOR): Vatan ve Namık Kemal (1951), Lale Devri (1951), Barbaros Hayrettin Paşa (1951), Kara Davut (1953 ), Kaldırım Çiçeği (1953),  Nilgün (1954), Büyük Sır (1956), Balıkçı Güzeli (1953), İbrahim Ethem - İlahi Davet (1966), Yaşlı Gözler (1967), Yaprak Dökümü (1967), Merhamet (1967 ), Hacı Bektaş Veli (1967), 501 Numaralı Hücre (1967), Süreyya (1972), Mevlana (1973), IV. Murat (TV series 1981), Mektup (1998 ). 

REFERENCE: Niyazi Akı / Çağdaş Türk Tiyatrosuna Toplu Bakış / 1923-1967 (1968) - Türk Tiyatro Edebiyatı Tarihi I (1989), Atilla Dorsay / Türk ve Dünya Sineması Ansiklopedisi (Turhan Gürkan ile, 1983), Büyük Larousse (c. 8, s. 4672, 1986), Ana Britannica (c. 9, s. 585-586, 1987), Tüzel Ezici / “Cüneyt Gökçer, Sanatta 50 Yıl” (Sanat 5, Özel Sayı 1994, s. 160 ), Savaş Aykılıç / “50. Sanat Yılında Cüneyt Gökçer” (Cumhuriyet gazetesi, 1994), Alim Şerif Onaran / Türk Sineması (2 cilt, 1994), Türkiye Kültür ve Sanat 2010 Yıllığı (2010), İhsan Işık / Ünlü Sanatçılar (Türkiye Ünlüleri Ansiklopedisi, C. 5, 2013) - Encyclopedia of Turkey’s Famous People (2013).

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