Acting

Suna Selen

Suna Selen, born July 1, 1939, in Istanbul, is a distinguished Turkish actress celebrated for her work across theatre, film, and television. She spent much of her career performing with the Istanbul State Theatre.

Raised in a family of notable intellectuals, Selen is the daughter of lawyer Hüsamettin Selen and Nimet Selen, a granddaughter of scholar Ahmed Cevdet Pasha and daughter of Fatma Aliye Topuz. She attended Beşiktaş Atatürk Anadolu Lisesi while studying theatre at the Beşiktaş Municipal Conservatory. In 1956, she began law studies at her family’s request, but soon followed her passion, leaving law to study painting at the Istanbul Academy of Fine Arts. She married painter Cem Kabaağaç in 1957 and had a son, leaving the Academy and briefly stepping away from the Dormen Theatre. She returned professionally in the 1959–60 season, starring in Alexandro Casona’s *Woman Coming at Dawn* and rising to fame as Nicole Cerusier in *The Pavements in the Sky*.

Selen earned acclaim for her screen roles. She won Best Supporting Actress at the 1971 International Antalya Film Festival for playing the Witch in *Pamuk Prenses ve 7 Cüceler*, and again at the Ankara International Film Festival for *Cazibe Hanımın Gündüz Düşleri*. She received Best Actress at the International Istanbul Film Festival for *Gönderilmemiş Mektuplar*.

She was married to actor Münir Özkul (daughter Güner) and playwright Güner Sümer (son Sinan). In 2016, she became the first recipient of the Lifetime Nadide Küntay Award at the İsmet Küntay Theatre Awards.

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