Gönül Ülkü Özcan

Gönül Ülkü Özcan — Biography

Gönül Ülkü Özcan was born on March 27, 1929, in Kadıköy and became one of the most enduring names in Turkish theater. With her family's encouragement she joined the children's section of the Istanbul City Theatres in 1947 and remained there until her marriage to actor Gazanfer Özcan in 1962. After marrying, the couple founded the Gönül Ülkü – Gazanfer Özcan Theatre, where she performed until falling ill in 2002, returning to the stage again in 2003.

On television she was best known for the family sitcom Kuruntu Ailesi, in which she starred alongside her husband and his on-screen family; the show later continued under the titles Hüsnü Bey Amca and Bizim Kuruntu Ailesi, remaining on air for a combined thirteen years. She also appeared in the TRT 1 comedy series Ben Olsaydım in 1991 and Burnumu Keser misiniz? in 1992, and later took a role in the 2004 series Avrupa Yakası.

Gönül Ülkü Özcan died in Istanbul on November 2, 2016, at the age of 87, and was buried in the family plot at Karacaahmet Cemetery.