Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Sibel Kekilli

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Sibel Kekilli

The German film industry is a thriving one and has produced numerous successful and famous artists who are part of the decision-making process in the field of film.

One of the notable actresses in the field is Sibel Kekilli who is considered to be an inspiration and a role model to the youths in Germany who are aspiring to get into the film industry.

Therefore, this article will explore some fascinating facts about the actress and provide the reader with a deeper insight as to why she is well-liked and many people want to emulate her. The article is also critical in providing knowledge that one can use when they have trivia with family and friends.

1. She is of Turkish origin

A picture of Sibel Kekilli by Martin Kraft-Wikimedia

Even though she was born in Germany, the actress traces her roots to Turkey. This is because her parents migrated from Turkey to Germany. She is usually private about information concerning her parents and siblings and therefore little is known about the members of her family.

Since she has a Turkish accent, it has been hard for her in English-speaking roles as she may not get everything that is being said but she states that her colleagues are usually supportive and help her out.

2. She was a public administrator

Sibel was not aware that she would one day be an award-winning actress and therefore, this means that she had a traditional career. The actress was more focused on being a public administrator in that after finishing her education, she went through a long training that took thirty months so that she could work as a local administrator.

She even held the position of an assistant administrator in Heilbronn City Hall for two years. She later moved to Essen to look for more opportunities and here she worked several jobs including a salesperson, adult content actress and nightclub manager before she landed in acting.

3. Her first movie made her a national sensation

A picture of Sibel by Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung-Wikimedia

Hers can be considered as an acting charm in that the first-ever movie that Sebil Kekilli acted in made her a national sensation.  The movie was known as Head-On. She was cast for the role after a director spotted her in the mall and advised her about the ongoing auditions and advised her to try her luck. This was in 2002 when she went to the auditions and managed to be selected from 350 artists who auditioned for the role.

The film was released in 2004 and it gained popularity among the fans and even managed to win prizes at several film festivals. Therefore, the popularity of the film meant that Sebil who was an actress in it gained popularity.

4. She was named the best actress of the year

After getting a role in Head-On, the actress continued to perfect her skill and landed a role in a Turkish film known as Eve Donus. The film was released in 2006 and it was also well received by the public. That meant a carer success for her as the movies that she participated in did well.

At the 2006 Turkey Natalya Golden Orange Film Festival, the actress was named the Best Actress of the year. This was a great feat in that she had only appeared in two films and had been awarded the title of the best actress.

5. She is in the Game of Thrones

Sibel in a question and answer session. Photo sourced from Wikimedia-Wikimedia

The actress played the character Shae in one of the most talked-about season finales of the Game of Thrones.  She was accepted for the role in 2010after being featured as a guest actress in season one and part of the main cast in season two.

Furthermore, not only was she part of the cast but also helped in the voice recording of the film for the German audience. Her role in the film allowed her to be internationally recognised as Game of Thrones was watched b people from different parts of the world.

6. She is proactive in advocating for the end of gender-based violence

The actress is vocal about society ending gender violence against women. She manages to make an impact by collaborating with a non-governmental organization known as “Terre des Femmes” which is in Germany.

Together with the organisation, they try to ensure that they educate the public that gender-based violence should not be tolerated. The actress was even recognised as The Author of Freedom by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation.

7. She had a scandal involving adult film production

After the release of her first film, a newspaper known as Bild-Zeitung dug into her past and found films of when she was an adult film actress after moving away from home to Essen. T

he newspaper released the videos and this resulted in her parents disowning her. The fans she had garnered after appearing in Head-On had mixed reactions. The newspaper was reprimanded by the German Press Council for the way it went about the story.

8. She faced challenges at the start of her acting career

A picture of the actor at an event. photo by Siebbi —Wikimedia

At the start of her acting career, the actress encountered many challenges that she struggled to cope with and this resulted in her having an appendectomy while she was filming in Turkey.  This was a hard time for her as the newspaper had just released her past to the public and she no longer had a good relationship with her family.

9. She does not belong to any religion

The actress says that she does not subscribe to any religion but she respects other people’s religions. This is a good concept in that she does not let her opinions of religion influence her take on the religions that people choose. Also, by respecting other people’s religions she can work in harmony with colleagues as they will not have a clash of opinions.

10. Other awards

The actress has played in many other films including Connection, Winter Journey, Fay Grim, When we Leave, Pihalla, Tatort and Berlin, I Love You. Having played so many roles, she has won several awards including a Bambi for the Best Shooting Star, the Best Actress in “Efilm Gegen die Wand”, The Lola Award and the Tribeca Prize.