Biography
Tarık Akan (born Tarık Tahsin Üregül) was a Turkish actor. He was born in Istanbul on 13 December 1949 and died there on 16 September 2016. He entered the film industry after placing as runner-up in a 1970 cinema actor contest organised by Ses magazine and made his debut in 1970 or 1971. He adopted the stage name Tarık Akan and studied acting with director Ertem Eğilmez.
In the early 1970s he appeared in numerous Yeşilçam romantic comedies, including several entries in the Hababam Sınıfı series (1975–1976) as Damat Ferit and films such as Mavi Boncuk (1974). From the late 1970s he took on more dramatic and political roles, notably as Şivan in Sürü (1978) and as Seyit Ali in Yol (1982). He appeared in over 100 films and also worked as a producer.
Akan received an Honourable Mention at the 35th Berlin International Film Festival for his performance in Pehlivan (1984). He won multiple Golden Orange awards and other festival prizes.
