Kenan İmirzalıoğlu

Film and television series actor, TV host, and former model. Born on June 18, 1974, in the village of Üçem (Bala district, Ankara Province), Turkey. After completing his secondary education in Ankara, he moved to Istanbul for his higher studies and graduated from the Department of Mathematics at Yıldız Technical University. In 1997, he entered the "Best Model of Turkey" pageant, winning first place among 4,000 applicants. He subsequently represented his country at the "Best Model of the World" international competition, where he won the title, becoming the first Turkish male model to achieve this distinction. He made his official television screen debut in 1998. Kenan İmirzalıoğlu launched his mainstream acting career by portraying Yusuf Miroğlu in Osman Sınav's hit action series "Deli Yürek" (1998–2002), which brought him immediate nationwide prominence. He expanded his television career by starring in the crime drama "Alacakaranlık" (2003–2005) alongside Uğur Yücel, and leading the high-rated romantic drama series "Acı Hayat" (2005–2007). He captured widespread international recognition and critical acclaim for his portrayal of Ömer Uçar / Ezel Bayraktar in the cult phenomenon drama series "Ezel" (2009–2011). He solidified his primetime profile by starring as Mahir Kara in the highly popular period legal drama "Karadayı" (2012–2015); for this project, he signed a contract worth $4,000,000, setting a record for the highest salary paid to a television actor in Turkey at the time. In 2018, he portrayed Sultan Mehmed II in the epic historical production "Mehmed: Bir Cihan Fatihi", and later starred in the mystical detective digital series "Alef" (2020). On the silver screen, his motion picture credits include leading roles in features such as "Yazı Tura" (Toss-Up, 2004), "Son Osmanlı Yandım Ali" (2007), "Kabadayı" (2007), "Ejder Kapanı" (2010), and "Uzun Hikâye" (2012). Alongside his acting commitments, he served for several years as the host of the popular television quiz show "Kim Milyoner Olmak İster?" (the Turkish franchise of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?). Interesting facts: Throughout his career, his performances have earned him multiple official accolades, including the prestigious Golden Butterfly Award (Altın Kelebek) for Best Actor for his role in "Ezel", as well as a Best Actor award at the Adana Golden Boll Film Festival for his performance in "Yazı Tura". Outside of his filming schedules, he shows a strong interest in history, classical literature, and active charity projects. Marital Status: Married. He has been wedded to the well-known Turkish actress Sinem Kobal since May 14, 2016. The couple has two daughters: Lalin (born in 2020) and Leyla (born in 2022).