Cem Bender

Cem Bender was born on 1 January 1965 in Trabzon. He completed his undergraduate studies in the Faculty of Architecture at Karadeniz Technical University in Trabzon, and later earned a master's degree in Urban and Regional Planning at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University in Istanbul. He trained as an actor at Şahika Tekand's Studio Oyuncuları. He made his stage debut in 1990 in the play "Berdel," playing the role of Mahmut. He entered television acting in 2003 with the series "Sultan Makamı." He appeared in the series "Arapsaçı," "Seher Vakti," "Esir Kalpler," "Kara Yılan," "Güldünya," "Muhteşem Yüzyıl" (Magnificent Century, as Mustafa Ağa), "Kurt Seyit ve Şura," Netflix's "Hakan: Muhafız" (The Protector, 2019, as Timur), "Alev Alev" (2020, as Çelebi Kayabeyli), and "Aldatmak" (2022). He gained wide recognition for the role of Seyit in the series "Gülperi" (2018). His film credits include "Saklı Yüzler," "Güz Sancısı," "Labirent," "Senin Hikayen," and "Ömer ve Biz." He won Best Actor at the Golden Laurel International Film Festival (Altın Defne) and was nominated for the same award at the National Golden Orange Film Festival (Altın Portakal). He continues to combine his acting career with his profession as an architect. He is a supporter of the football club Trabzonspor. He is married to Burcu Salihoğlu; the couple has one daughter. He tends to keep his personal life out of the media.