İsmail Hakkı Sunat

İsmail Hakkı Sunat — Biography

İsmail Hakkı Sunat was a State Theatres actor who worked in theatre, film and television and died in 2004, before he turned forty, and was widely described as one of the theatre hopes of the future. On stage he took part in plays such as Kral Lear, Haydutlar, Karanlıkta Komedi and Ayışığında Şamata; his most notable achievement was winning Most Successful Supporting Actor of the Year at the 7th Afife Theatre Awards in 2003 for his performance in Ayaktakımı Arasında.

He built his career as an artist of the Ankara State Theatre before moving to the Istanbul State Theatre. Alongside the stage he worked on screen: Gamsızlar (1993), Bu Sevda Bitmez (1996), Kördüğüm (1997), Ateş Dansı (1998), Mert Ali (2000), Benimle Evlenir misin? (2001) and, last, Zümrüt (2004) appear in his filmography, and he also featured in commercials. After the earthquake of 17 August 1999 he served in a search and rescue team.

He was married to the actress Deniz Uğur, with whom he had a child, and his brother is İYİ Parti deputy chairman Şenol Sunat. In July 2004 he was shot dead in Çanakkale during an argument with a neighbour in his housing complex, and was buried in Gelibolu. His death was widely covered in the press of the time, which quoted his wife Deniz Uğur as saying he had taught her about life and then died. The perpetrator was caught in 2009 and received a six-year prison sentence.