Nevin Seval

Nevin Seval — Biography

Nevin Seval was born in 1920 in the Emirgân neighborhood of Istanbul. After finishing primary school in Emirgan, she studied first at the American Girls' College and then at Istanbul Girls' High School, but had to give up her education when she married in the ninth grade. She began her stage career in 1939 at the Istanbul City Theatres, where she performed for many years, becoming part of the institution's first group of contracted artists in 1958.

On stage she appeared in works including Azrail Tatil Yapıyor (1939), Rüzgar Esince and Yalancı (1942), IV. Henry (1945), Zehir (1947), Evin Üstündeki Bulut (1948), Günler Geçer, Her Şey Geçer (1954), Çayhane (1955) and Keçiler Adası (1956); poets of the era, including Orhon Murat Arıburnu and Attilâ İlhan, wrote of their admiration for her. Alongside theatre she also worked in film, making her name as the Chinese Princess in Kahveci Güzeli (1941) and going on to appear in Yayla Kartalı (1945), Harman Sonu (1946), Kızılırmak (1946), Kerim'in Çilesi (1947), Harmankaya (1948), Ölünceye Kadar Seninim (1949) and Parmaksız Salih (1950).

In 1958, while touring Adana with the play Harput'ta Bir Amerikalı, she contracted typhoid and died in hospital on the third day of the tour; she was buried in Adana's Asri Cemetery.