Tolga Karel

Tolga Karel — Biography

Tolga Karel, born October 12, 1978, in Istanbul, is a Turkish television, film and theatre actor who has also worked as a songwriter and composer. He began university at Yeditepe University's Department of French Political Science and International Relations but left after two years to train at the Paris State Conservatory's Theatre Department, studying cinematography and drama, and later completed postgraduate work in film and theatre criticism in Paris.

Widely recognized for playing Oğuz in the television series Yaprak Dökümü, Karel has also appeared in productions including Evdeki Yabancı, Kabuslar Evi: Karanlıktan Gelen, Bir Zamanlar Osmanlı: Kıyam, Code Name: K.O.Z. and Sıfırıncı Gün. Musically active as well, he released the albums Göçebe (2003) and Dale Don Dale (2005), provided guest vocals on releases by Yonca Evcimik and Nalan, and contributed lyrics and compositions for other artists. In 2014 he competed on the celebrity team of Survivor Turkey, lasting 102 days before elimination.

Karel has lived in the United States since 2016, where he has worked as a truck driver, and continues to draw tabloid attention over aspects of his personal life.