Biography
Elçin Sangu is a Turkish actress and model of Circassian descent whose distinctive red hair and expressive range have made her one of the most recognisable faces in Turkish television. Born in İzmir on August 13, 1985, she has built a career that moves with apparent ease between romantic comedy, action thriller, vampire drama and stage production.
Early life and education
Elçin Sangu grew up in İzmir and pursued an unusual educational path for an actress: she initially trained in opera at Mersin University, developing a musical discipline and a sensitivity to vocal expression that was to serve her well later. She subsequently trained in acting at the Sahne Tozu Theatre, where she developed the technical foundations that would underpin her screen career. Her theatre background has remained active throughout her television career, with stage productions including Şehirde Kimse Yokken and Jekyll & Hyde.
She has been in a relationship with Yunus Özdiken since 2011. She is an only child.
Awards and recognition
Elçin Sangu made her television debut in 2011 with Öyle Bir Geçer Zaman ki as Jale. She steadily built her profile through Aşk Kaç Beden Giyer (2012–2013) as the lead Nehir, Bir Aşk Hikâyesi (2013–2014) as Eda Çağlar, and Kiralık Aşk (2015–2017) as Defne Topal — a role that earned her the Golden Butterfly Award for Best Comedy Actress and turned her into one of Turkish television’s most beloved romantic leads. She subsequently expanded her range with the vampire-themed web series Yaşamayanlar (2018) as Mia, the action thriller Çarpışma (2018–2019) as Zeynep Tunç, and the romantic comedy İyi Günde Kötü Günde (2020) as Leyla Ertekin. Her film work includes Mutluluk Zamanı (2017) and the Netflix original 9 Kere Leyla (2020). She is widely considered one of Turkey’s highest-paid and most versatile actresses.