Cem Yilmaz(I)
- Actor
- Writer
- Director
While studying at the Department of Tourism and Hotel Management of
Bogazici University, he started drawing comics for the Turkish humor
magazine Leman. In August 1995 he did his first stand-up comedy show in
"Leman Culture Center" performing with no serious career intentions as
a comedian. However, after the positive response of the audience, he
continued his show to attract larger crowds in Besiktas Cultural Center
where he has appeared in over a thousand stand-up comedy shows since,
becoming so popular that tickets have sold for 250TL (approx. US$140).
His movie career started in 1998 with a co-starring role in the comedy
Her Sey Çok Güzel Olacak (1998),
directed by Ömer Vargi, and continued with a
role in Vizontele (2001), directed by
Yilmaz Erdogan and
Ömer Faruk Sorak. He achieved his
greatest success by starring in and writing big-budget science-fiction
parody G.O.R.A. (2004), also directed by
Ömer Faruk Sorak, which despite
spending several years in production because of financial and other
technical problems became a box-office hit and described by
Rekin Teksoy as a strong sign that showed
that popular cinema was successful in appealing to wide audiences. He
maintained this success with a starring role in the comedy feature
movie Magic Carpet Ride (2005) AKA 'Magic Carpet Ride',
also directed by Yilmaz Erdogan, for which he won Best Supporting Actor at the 11th Sadri Alisik Awards, and his directorial debut with The Magician (2006),
co-directed by Ali Taner Baltaci, for
which he won Best Actor at the 34th Brussels International Independent
Film Festival and 12th Sadri Alisik Awards. He has since repeated his
box office success with a sequel to
G.O.R.A. (2004) called
A.R.O.G (2008), also co-directed by
Ali Taner Baltaci, and comedy Western
parody called Yahsi Bati (2009),
directed by Ömer Faruk Sorak. That same
year, he co-starred, alongside veteran actor
Sener Sen, in the police drama
Hunting Season (2010), written and
directed by Yavuz Turgul, and made a
special appearance in drama Zefir (2010),
written and directed by Belma Bas. After two
years he also acted in Ferzan Özpetek's
A Magnificent Haunting (2012). After
he filmed his last stand-up comedy show
CM101MMXI Fundamentals (2013)
directed by Murat Dündar, he announced that
for the next few years he will stop his stand-up comedy shows to have a
rest.
Along his professional career, he has won numerous awards and appeared
in more than 4000 stand-up comedy shows, took part in 10 movies and
contributed as a dubbing performer in 4 movies.
Bogazici University, he started drawing comics for the Turkish humor
magazine Leman. In August 1995 he did his first stand-up comedy show in
"Leman Culture Center" performing with no serious career intentions as
a comedian. However, after the positive response of the audience, he
continued his show to attract larger crowds in Besiktas Cultural Center
where he has appeared in over a thousand stand-up comedy shows since,
becoming so popular that tickets have sold for 250TL (approx. US$140).
His movie career started in 1998 with a co-starring role in the comedy
Her Sey Çok Güzel Olacak (1998),
directed by Ömer Vargi, and continued with a
role in Vizontele (2001), directed by
Yilmaz Erdogan and
Ömer Faruk Sorak. He achieved his
greatest success by starring in and writing big-budget science-fiction
parody G.O.R.A. (2004), also directed by
Ömer Faruk Sorak, which despite
spending several years in production because of financial and other
technical problems became a box-office hit and described by
Rekin Teksoy as a strong sign that showed
that popular cinema was successful in appealing to wide audiences. He
maintained this success with a starring role in the comedy feature
movie Magic Carpet Ride (2005) AKA 'Magic Carpet Ride',
also directed by Yilmaz Erdogan, for which he won Best Supporting Actor at the 11th Sadri Alisik Awards, and his directorial debut with The Magician (2006),
co-directed by Ali Taner Baltaci, for
which he won Best Actor at the 34th Brussels International Independent
Film Festival and 12th Sadri Alisik Awards. He has since repeated his
box office success with a sequel to
G.O.R.A. (2004) called
A.R.O.G (2008), also co-directed by
Ali Taner Baltaci, and comedy Western
parody called Yahsi Bati (2009),
directed by Ömer Faruk Sorak. That same
year, he co-starred, alongside veteran actor
Sener Sen, in the police drama
Hunting Season (2010), written and
directed by Yavuz Turgul, and made a
special appearance in drama Zefir (2010),
written and directed by Belma Bas. After two
years he also acted in Ferzan Özpetek's
A Magnificent Haunting (2012). After
he filmed his last stand-up comedy show
CM101MMXI Fundamentals (2013)
directed by Murat Dündar, he announced that
for the next few years he will stop his stand-up comedy shows to have a
rest.
Along his professional career, he has won numerous awards and appeared
in more than 4000 stand-up comedy shows, took part in 10 movies and
contributed as a dubbing performer in 4 movies.