Esra Ruşan

Esra Ruşan — Biography

Esra Ruşan was born on 7 March 1983 in the Göle district of Ardahan, to a Kurdish father and an Azerbaijani-descended mother. After graduating from the Theatre Department of Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, she made her television debut in 2006 in the series Arka Sokaklar, and went on to gain experience in productions such as Kurtlar Vadisi Pusu, Ayrılık and the 2012 series Ustura Kemal.

She drew attention in 2015 as Melis in Tatlı Küçük Yalancılar, then played Emine opposite Halit Ergenç and Bergüzar Korel in the period drama Vatanım Sensin. One of her best-known roles came in the widely watched TRT 1 series Masumlar Apartmanı (2020-2022), in which she played Esra Şafak, a radio host and close friend of the lead character; she also appeared as Saadet in an episode of the anthology series Yarım Kalan Aşklar. She further showcased her comedic range in Cem Yılmaz's series Erşan Kuneri, appeared in the Netflix production Atiye, and joined the cast of Çağan Irmak's Yaratılan.

On the big screen she appeared in films including Dünyanın En Güzel Kokusu (2016) and Kimya, and returned to cinema in 2024 as Fulya in Lohusa, written by Gupse Özay. Her stage performance in Nefesinizi Nasıl Tutarsınız? earned her a nomination in the supporting actress category at the Afife Theatre Awards. She divorced her husband, Fatih Kızılgök, in 2020 after six years of marriage, and has continued to give interviews about her career and outlook on acting.