Melisa Sözen

Melisa Sözen is a Turkish actress acclaimed at home and abroad, known for Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Palme d’Or winner Kış Uykusu (Winter Sleep), the French series Le Bureau des Légendes and Turkish dramas such as Çemberimde Gül Oya, Bir Bulut Olsam and Magnificent Century. She was born on 6 July 1985.

Career in Turkey

Sözen started acting professionally at fifteen while studying at the theatre department of Pera Fine Arts High School. She starred in many TV hits, including Çemberimde Gül Oya, Bıçak Sırtı, Bir Bulut Olsam, Magnificent Century, Kırmızı Oda and the surreal series Şubat, in which she played two different roles.

On film she worked with leading Turkish directors in Av Mevsimi, Bir Varmış Bir Yokmuş and Cenneti Beklerken. Her performance in Kış Uykusu (2014) brought her international attention. In 2015 her role in the play Kalp Düğümü won her Best Actress awards from both the Theatre Critics Association and the Film Critics Association.

International work

Sözen joined the third season of Éric Rochant’s acclaimed French spy series Le Bureau des Légendes (2017), moved to Paris for a time and had her first French lead in Damien veut changer le monde (2019). She has served on juries at festivals including Sarajevo and Cannes Series.

Recent projects include the BluTV mystery Alef with Kenan İmirzalıoğlu, Netflix’s Biz Kimden Kaçıyorduk Anne? and the anthology 7 Yüz.

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