Halit Ergenç

Biography

Halit Ergenç is a Turkish actor and presenter, world famous as Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent in Muhteşem Yüzyıl (Magnificent Century), one of the most watched Turkish series of all time. He also starred in the record-breaking Binbir Gece (1001 Nights) and in Vatanım Sensin. He was born Halit Ahmet Ergenç on 30 April 1970 in Istanbul; his father was the musician and actor Sait Ergenç.

Career

Ergenç began studying naval architecture at Istanbul Technical University but left to train in opera and musical theatre at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University State Conservatory. For three years he worked as a backing vocalist for pop stars Ajda Pekkan and Leman Sam, and in 1996 he played the lead in the musical The King and I at the Dormen Theatre.

On television he became known for Zerda and Aliye, then reached a huge audience with Binbir Gece. His portrayal of Süleyman in Muhteşem Yüzyıl (2011–2014) made him a star across the Middle East, the Balkans and Latin America. He later played Colonel Cevdet in Vatanım Sensin and, in 2025, the narcissistic engineer Kenan Baran in Kral Kaybederse.