Halit Ergenç

Halit Ergenç was born on April 30, 1970, in Istanbul, Turkey. His father, Mehmet Sait Ergenç, was a musician and actor, and his mother is İnci Aliye Yüceışık, who is of Albanian descent. He graduated from Beşiktaş Atatürk High School and later studied at Istanbul Technical University's Faculty of Naval Architecture and Marine Sciences but left to pursue his passion for theater. He graduated from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University's State Conservatory in Opera and Musical Theater Acting. For three years, he worked as a backing vocalist for Ajda Pekkan and Leman Sam. His theater debut came in 1996 with the musical "The King and I" at the Dormen Theater. He began his television career around the same time, gaining popularity with roles in "Zerda" and "Aliye." His leading role in "Binbir Gece" (1001 Nights, 2006-2009) earned him his first Golden Butterfly Award for Best Actor. He achieved international fame as Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in "Muhteşem Yüzyıl" (The Magnificent Century, 2011-2014), for which he received his second Golden Butterfly Award. Other notable works include the series "Vatanım Sensin" (My Homeland is You, 2016-2018), "Babil" (2020), and films such as "Babam ve Oğlum" (My Father and My Son, 2005), "Devrim Arabaları" (Revolution Cars, 2008), and "Dersimiz Atatürk" (Our Lesson Atatürk, 2010). In 2025, he played Hristo Küçükandonyadis in the film "Lefter: Bir Ordinaryüs Hikayesi" (Lefter: A Story of an Ordinaryus). In 2007, he married actress Gizem Soysaldı; the couple divorced in 2008. He married actress Bergüzar Korel in 2009, whom he met on the set of "Binbir Gece." They have three children: sons Ali (2010) and Han (2020), and daughter Leyla (2021). The family resides in London.