Farah Zeynep Abdullah (born 17 August 1989) is a Turkish actress and singer. She garnered critical acclaim and nationwide recognition for her movies and television series. She is the recipient of two Siyad awards, the most prestigious film awards in Turkey.

Early life

Farah Zeynep Abdullah was born on 17 August 1989, in

Beşiktaş Beşiktaş () is a district and municipality of Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 18 km2 and its population is 175,190 (2022). It is located on the European shore of the Bosphorus strait. It is bordered on the north by Sarıyer and ...

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

. Abdullah has two brothers. Her secondary education was spent at the Lycée Français Saint-Michel in

until her family moved to London due to her father's job. She completed her degree in French and Drama and Media Studies from the

University of Kent The University of Kent (formerly the University of Kent at Canterbury, abbreviated as UKC) is a Collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university based in Kent, United Kingdom. The university was granted its roya ...

in 2013.

Career

TV series

In 2010, during her studies at the

, Abdullah was offered a role in the melodrama '' Öyle Bir Geçer Zaman ki'', for which she completed 2 seasons and 79 episodes. The series also won her a Best Supporting Actress award at the Antalya Television Awards in 2011. She then worked for the second time alongside Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ in the period drama '' Kurt Seyit ve Şura''. In late July 2016, rumours of Abdullah joining the hit series '' Muhteşem Yüzyıl: Kösem'' ("Magnificent Century: Kösem") surfaced on social media. A few days later, it was confirmed that she had joined the series in the role of Hungarian princess Farya Bethlen. Abdullah then starred as singer in the series '' Gülizar''. Between 2020 and 2021, she worked alongside Birkan Sokullu in '' Masumlar Apartmanı'' ("Apartment of the Innocents"), which is adapted from a novel by Gülseren Budayıcıoğlu.

Films

In 2013, she appeared in

Yılmaz Erdoğan Yılmaz Erdoğan (born 4 November 1967) is a Turkish filmmaker, actor and poet who is most famous for his box-office record-breaking debut comedy film '' Vizontele'' (2001) and the television series ''Bir Demet Tiyatro'' (1995–2002/2006–2007 ...

's film '' Kelebeğin Rüyası'' ("The Butterfly's Dream"). It was selected by the Minister of Culture and Tourism as Turkey's candidate for the 2014's

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...

. For the role, Abdullah won the trophy for Best Supporting Actress at the 18th Sadri Alışık Cinema and Theatre Awards and Cinema Writers Association Awards. In 2014, she appeared in the film '' Bi Küçük Eylül Meselesi'' ("A Small September Affair"). Abdullah later starred in director

Çağan Irmak Çağan Irmak (born 4 April 1970) is a Turkish people, Turkish film and television writer and director, who has managed to attract a large audience in Turkey and is best known for the TV series ''Çemberimde Gül Oya'' (2004–2005) and ''Asmalı ...

's musical romance film '' Unutursam Fisilda'' ("Whisper If I Forget"). The role brought her multiple awards as she stunned audiences with her acting and singing skills. It became the 5th most watched film in Turkiye in 2014. The song 'Gel ya da git' performed by Farah for the soundtrack of the film 'Whisper If I Forget' topped the national charts for numeral consecutive weeks. In 2015, she voiced Princess Courtney in the Turkish version of ''

Barbie in Rock 'N Royals Barbie, a fashion doll manufactured by American toy and entertainment company Mattel, has starred or featured in 52 animated feature films and streaming television films since 2001, which has become a core component of Barbie (media franchise), a ...

''. Later that year Abdullah completed '' Ekşi Elmalar'' ("Sour Apples"), her second project with director Yılmaz Erdoğan. The film was released on 28 October 2016 in Turkey and in early November in Europe. Her acting was very well received and praised by critics and viewers alike. In 2018 she played famous singer

Ajda Pekkan Ayşe Ajda Pekkan (; born 12 February 1946) is a Turkish singer. She is known by the title "superstar" in the Turkish media. Pekkan became a prominent figure of Turkish pop music with her songs, in which she tried to create a strong female figure. ...

in the fantasy comedy film '' Arif V 216'', where she sang Pekkan's songs "Milyonzade" and "Boşvermişim Dünyaya". It was the second most watched film in Turkiye in 2018. Abdullah then starred in the film '' Bizim İçin: Şampiyon'' ("For Us: Champion"), which tells the life story of jockey Halis Karataş. Her role and the movie were widely appreciated by critics. In 2022, Abdullah starred in the

biographical A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or curric ...

film ''

Bergen Bergen (, ) is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland county on the Western Norway, west coast of Norway. Bergen is the list of towns and cities in Norway, second-largest city in Norway after the capital Oslo. By May 20 ...

'' which became the 8th highest-grossing film of all time in Turkiye gaining over 160 million tl. It was the most watched and highest grossing film in 2022 in Turkiye. In 2023, Abdullah starred in the film ''Bihter'', an adaption of the 1900s Ottoman-era novel '' Aşk-ı Memnu''.

Filmography

Television series

Film

Short Film

*"100-5=Cahide" as

Cahide Sonku Cahide Sonku (born Cahide Serap; 27 December 1912 – 18 March 1981) was a Turkish actress, model, writer and the first female film director in Turkey. Sonku was the founder of her own movie production company, Sonku Film, in 1950. She was thrice ...

Discography

Awards and nominations

80th Venice Film Festival Best Actress Kurt Seyit ve Şura Won

References

External links

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Farah Zeynep Abdullah on TurkishStarsDaily
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abdullah, Farah Zeynep 1989 births Turkish people of Iraqi Turkmen descent 21st-century Turkish actresses Living people People educated at Claires Court School Actresses from Istanbul Turkish television actresses Turkish film actresses Turkish people of Bosniak descent Alumni of the University of Kent Iraqi Turkmen people Turkish people of Bosnian descent Turkish people of Macedonian descent