İlayda Elif Elhih

İlayda Elif Elhih — Biography

İlayda Elif Elhih studied theatre at Pera Fine Arts High School and graduated from Kadir Has University in 2018. In a podcast interview with Üretim Kaydı she said she had known she wanted to act since her high school years and had her family's support along the way.

Director Çağıl Bocut met her while observing conservatory classes and invited her to audition, and she joined Sardunya (Geranium), which began filming in 2016 and was released in 2021, in the role of Defne; she obtained a driver's licence specifically for the part and also contributed to the screenplay. Because Defne was close to her own age, Bocut said he often consulted her during production. The performance earned her the Best Actress award at the 40th International Istanbul Film Festival, though she missed the ceremony and learned of the win through producer Çağıl Bocut.

On television she appeared in the series Çukur (The Pit), and in February 2024 she drew wide press coverage, described in headlines as an award-winning actress, when she joined Yargı as a guest star playing Dilan. In interviews she has said she wants to take on work that does not underestimate its audience.