Çiğdem Selışık Onat

Çiğdem Selışık Onat was born on 14 May 1939 in Ankara. She graduated from Robert College in Istanbul and later studied at the Faculty of Literature of Istanbul University. During her studies, she became one of the founders of Genç Oyuncular ("Young Actors"), a movement bringing together student actors from across Turkey. She later earned a master's and then a doctoral degree in theatre at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She began her professional career at the invitation of Yıldız Kenter at the Kent Oyuncuları theatre, later working at the Ankara State Theatre. In 1965 she moved with her family to France, where she studied directing at Centre de l'Est, and in 1971 to the United States, where she spent nearly 40 years as an actress, director, and teacher, including at Lincoln Center and NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. In 2000 she received the World Theater Award for her role as Signora Fiorina in "The Time of the Cuckoo" and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award. She returned to Turkey in 2011, where she taught acting and drama at Koç University for several years. Her film credits include "Çırak" (2015) — for which she won Best Supporting Actress at the 52nd Antalya "Golden Orange" International Film Festival and the 27th Ankara International Film Festival — as well as "İstanbul Kırmızısı" (2017) and "Çiçero." On television she is known for the series "Kardeş Çocukları" (as Rezzan), Netflix's "Hakan: Muhafız" (The Protector, as Azra), and "Uyanış: Büyük Selçuklu" (as Seferiye Hatun).