Birol Ünel

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Birol Ünel (born 18 August 1961 in Silifke, Turkey) is a German actor of Turkish descent. Birol has acted in a number of German and Turkish films and TV series along with theatre. His name, "Birol", means "unique" in Turkish.

Ünel was born in Silifke in southern Turkey. In 1968, his family moved to Brinkum near Bremen in Germany. He studied acting at Hanover Conservatory.

Ünel began as a theatre actor at the Berliner Tacheles where he played the lead and also directed the play "Caligula". Ünel made his film debut in 1987's The passenger. He played a private detective in the film Dealer which he followed up with a role in Fatih Akin's Im Juli. Birol then acted in the award winning Gegen die Wand as Cahit Tomruk. He won the German film prize for best actor for this role.

His latest films have been Transylvania and Seven Heroes. Ünel also acted in the hit Turkish film Hirsiz var! in 2005

[edit] Trivia

Birol was an actual alcoholic in real life as he was as Cahit in Gegen die Wand. In fact, about half through the filming of Gegen die Wand, a Doctor told Birol that he had to stop drinking or he would die. Birol stopped drinking. In the movie, you will notice that Birol (Cahit) lost considerable weight by the time he is in Turkey.