Kemal Sunal

Biography

Kemal Sunal (11 November 1944 – 3 July 2000) was a Turkish actor and comedian. With Hababam Sınıfı, Kapıcılar Kralı and Davaro, Sunal gained large popularity amongst Turkish cinema goers and was famed for his character "Şaban", a role he frequently played. Kemal Sunal graduated from Vefa Lisesi (Vefa High School). In his early ages, he started pursuing what was to become a long and successful acting career in minor roles in various theatres. For a brief period, he worked in the Kenterler Theatre and debuted in the play Zoraki Tabip. He was later transferred to the Devekuşu Kabare Theatre, where he performed his acting. He was recognized as a real talent, and started receiving offers for movies with larger budgets and a more famous cast. His first bigger role was in the film "Tatlı Dillim" directed by Ertem Eğilmez. In a matter of years, Sunal co-starred alongside Halit Akçatepe, Şener Şen and Münir Özkul. Perhaps the most famous of all his parts was when he played in Hababam Sınıfı (The Outrageous Class) and was known by the name of "Şaban", but most of his classmates just called him İnek (nerd) Şaban. İnek Şaban was constantly bullied and humiliated by his friends, but this never kept him from thinking the unthinkable, like digging a tunnel to escape school grounds (which later, turned out to lead to the vice-principal's office) or smoking in the school attic. The character was so pure and so fixed in the memories of the Turkish people, it was never replaced by another actor in the recent re-shootings of Hababam Sınıfı, most probably as a sign of respect to Sunal.

Most Known For

Kiracı

as Kerim

Stubborn

as Bayram

Sakar Şakir

as Sakar Şakir/Hasan Titiz

The Teacher

as Hüsnü Öğretmen

Zehir Hafiye

as Cemal

Tokatçı

as Osman

King of the Doormen

as Seyit

Gerzek Şaban

as Osman / Seyfi

Davacı

as Yunus

Bay Kamber

as Bay Kamber

Zübük

as İbrahim Zübükzade/Zeybekzade Kara Yusuf Efe

Feyzo, The Polite One

as Feyzo

The Foster Brothers

as Şaban (Süt Oğlan)

Koltuk Belası

as Zühtü

Polizei

as Ali Ekber

Çarıklı Milyoner

as Bayram

The Laughing Man

as Yusuf Şaplak

Şaban ile Şirin

as Şaban

Balalayka

as Kemal Sunal (anısına)

Sweet Talker

as Kemal