Can Yaman fundamentally changed his career

Can Yaman's move to Italy in early 2021 radically changed his career, transforming him from a Turkish rom-com star into a highly sought-after European actor.

Here are the main details of his life and new projects in Italy:

Can Yaman completely mastered the Italian language and landed the lead role of police inspector Francesco Demir in a detective series by Lux Vide. The project proved so successful that it ran for two seasons and was broadcast on streaming platforms, including Prime Video.

The main event in the actor's Italian career. Can played the legendary pirate Sandokan in a high-budget reboot of the classic Italian series by Rai 1 and Lux Vide producers. The series premiered at the end of 2025, and in January 2026, Netflix acquired international broadcasting rights, where the show immediately entered the global TOP 10. The project has already been officially renewed for a second season.

The actor's popularity has expanded far beyond TV series. At the end of February 2026, the Italian broadcaster RAI invited Can Yaman to co-host the opening of the prestigious Sanremo Music Festival (Sanremo 2026) alongside Carlo Conti and Laura Pausini. This is widely considered recognition of his status as an A-list media star in the country.

Yaman also starred in a major English-language historical series, playing the Ottoman soldier Hasan Balaban. The plot revolves around the hero who, after being wounded, ends up in the Italian Alpine village of Moena and leads a local rebellion. The global release of the series took place in early 2025.

In addition to Italy, the actor has begun conquering new territories. He spent recent months filming his first Spanish-language romantic thriller by Secuoya Studios «The Butterfly Labyrinth» (El laberinto de las mariposas), where he plays an undercover secret agent. After wrapping up this project, Can plans to return to Rome to shoot a comedy and the new season of "Sandokan."

Can Yaman has fully integrated into the Italian entertainment industry, founded the children's charity "Can Yaman for Children," and has repeatedly stated that Rome has become his second home. Therefore, he has no plans to return to filming the type of Turkish melodramas like "Early Bird" (Erkenci Kuş) that he used to do.