Tevfik Gelenbe

Tevfik Gelenbe — Biography

Born Asım Tevfik Gelenbe, he was born on 16 March 1931 in Istanbul. After graduating from Vefa High School, he began his artistic career in 1960 at the Istanbul City Theatres and in 1969 founded the Tevfik Gelenbe Tiyatrosu, which gave free training to young actors; performers including Yıldıray Şahinler, Murat Akkoyunlu, Ümmühan Kıldiş and Kadir Akbulut trained in his workshop. At his own theatre he appeared in roughly twenty plays, among them Kocamın Nişanlısı, Şekerpare and Sevgili Katilim. He became nationally known for playing Bacı Kalfa in the series Uğurlugiller, broadcast from 1987 to 1991, and also appeared in Günün Faizi (1992), Şen Dullar (1991), Huzursuzlar (2001) and İki Oda Bir Sinan (2002). In film he acted in Biz İnsan Değil Miyiz (1961) and worked as assistant director on Boşver Doktor (1962). Gelenbe died in Istanbul on 20 October 2004 at the age of 73 from skin cancer, and was buried at Merdivenköy Cemetery.