Biography
Özge Gürel is a Turkish actress of Circassian and Thessalonian Turkish heritage whose easy charm and natural comedic instinct have made her one of the most popular romantic-comedy leads in Turkish television. Born in Istanbul on February 5, 1987, she grew up in Silivri and came to acting through a detour via a business degree she never quite finished.
Early life and education
Özge Gürel enrolled at Beykent University to study International Trade, a decision that reflected the practical sensibility of someone who grew up in a family where her father worked as a retired customs officer. But the pull of performance proved stronger than commerce, and she left the degree behind to pursue acting and acting management training. Her acting career began with a role as Zeynep Demiray in Kızım Nerede? — a modest enough start that gave her the experience she needed.
She married her Kiraz Mevsimi co-star, actor Serkan Çayoğlu, on July 14, 2022. She has one older sister.
Awards and recognition
Özge Gürel’s breakthrough came with Kiraz Mevsimi (Cherry Season, 2014), in which she played Öykü Acar Dinçer — a role that made her a household name and turned the series into the first Turkish production ever to be broadcast on Italian television. She was nominated for Best Actress at the Seoul International Drama Awards (2015) for the role. She went on to play Ada Savaşer in Medcezir and the beloved Nazlı Pınar Aslan opposite Can Yaman in Dolunay (Full Moon, 2017), earning a Golden Butterfly nomination for Best Romantic Comedy Actress. She and Can Yaman then reunited for Bay Yanlış (Mr. Wrong, 2020), in which she played the irrepressible Ezgi İnal — another Golden Butterfly and PRODU nomination. Her film credits include the award-winning ensemble Organik Aşk Hikâyeleri (2017), which took the ReelHeART International Film Festival’s Best Ensemble Cast prize, and the Antalya Golden Orange-nominated Kar Kırmızı (2020).
