Top 10 Facts about Cagatay Ulusoy

Cagatay Ulusoy at the 2015 Seoul International Drama Awards. Photo by Mohak Kumar. Wikimedia Commons.

Top 10 Facts about Cagatay Ulusoy

Cagatay Ulusoy is a Turkish actor and model. He was born on 23^rd September 1990. He began his acting career in 2010 and has played many roles in film and TV.

These include Medcezir (2013-2015) and Icerde. Cagatay was the lead actor in the first-ever Turkish Netflix series ‘The Protector.’

He has received several awards for his achievements in his acting career, including a Golden Butterfly Award.

Besides acting, he also models. In 2010 he was named Best Model of Turkey.

He has appeared in several commercials alongside Victoria’s Secret models Taylor Hill and Julie Ordon.

Here are the top 10 facts about Cagatay Ulusoy.

1. Cagatay Ulusoy was born in Istanbul

Istanbul by the shore. Photo by Mark Ahsmann. Wikimedia Commons.

He was born on 23 September 1990, in Istanbul Turkey. His father, Aylin Ulusoy, is of Turkish descent. He immigrated to Turkey from Bulgaria when he was ten.

His maternal family is of Bosnian descent. His mother’s name is Refiye Ulusoy. Cagatay has a younger brother named Atalay.

He went to Halkali Trade Vocational high school. After graduating, he began to study at Istanbul University’s Department of Garden Design and Landscaping.

2. He started modelling at the age of 19

Cagatay Ulusoy was very proactive in his school days. It is no surprise that he was quite good in sports such as basketball, swimming, and diving.

At the age of 19, while still in school, he took up modelling. His friends convinced him to participate in a modelling contest, which he won in 2010. He was named Best Model of Turkey.

3. He got his first acting job offer in 2010

Image by Openclipart-Vectors-Pixabay

On the very same night that he was named Model of the Year, he received an offer for an acting role. This was for the TV Series Adini Feriha Koydum (I named her Feriha). He played Emir Sarrafoglu.

The show ran through to 2012 when it had to be cancelled for poor ratings. The first two seasons had been successful but upon Hazal Kaya, Cagatay’s co-star’s departure from the series, its ratings dropped significantly.

Cagatay also shot his first movie Anadolu Kartallari, in 2011. He played the supporting role of Lieutenant Ahmet Onur. The movie was directed by Omer Vargi.

4. He has played lead roles in several features

From 2013 to 2015, Cagatay was cast in Medcezir as the lead actor for the role of Yamin Koper. His co-star was Turkish actress Serenay Sarikaya.

The series is based on the American TV series, The O.C.  It’s a teen drama that was quite popular in the 2003-2004 TV season.

Cagatay’s character, Yamin, is based on Ben Mckenzie’s character in O.C. Ryan Atwood.

Cagatay played the lead role in Icerde, a Turkish TV series that ran from 2016 to 2017. He plays the role of Sarp Yilmaz, an officer who infiltrates the mafia.

The series is based on the American movie The Departed, by Martin Scorsese. He stars alongside Aras Bulut Iynemli and Bensu Soral.

In 2018, he was the lead actor in The Protector, and in 2021, he stars as the main character in the Netflix movie, Paper Lives. He pays Mehmet, a garbage collector. It was directed by Can Ulkay.

5. Cagatay debuted as a director in 2020

In 2020, he filmed Birdie, a shot film. He was the director. He debuted in screenwriting and directing with this movie.

Birdie is a 20-minute film that portrays the story of an ailing fisherman who, despite his hand-to-mouth income, is content with what nature avails him. It has been described as an ‘ode to nature.’

Turgay Tanulku, a veteran Turkish actor gives a stellar performance in the role of the fisherman. The film was selected for several international short film festivals.

 In April 2021, it was made available to the general public in the United States during the Oxford Film Festival.

 6. He was involved in a drugs probe in 2013

Image of sample narcotic drug and injection by B_A/34 –Pixabay.

In January 2013, the Istanbul Police Department narcotics unit conducted a raid at several addresses in a narcotics operation.

They arrested around 38 people, among them Turkish celebrities. These include Cagatay Ulusoy, Cenk Eren, Cemal Hunal, and Gizem Karaca.

However, in 2018, the 18^th High Criminal Court repealed the verdict for drug trafficking upon request by the defendants’ lawyers to examine the decision.

7. He stars in the first-ever Turkish Netflix series: The Protector

Netflix logo. Photo by Josue Mejia01. Wikimedia Commons.

Yes! \The Protector (Hakan: Muhafiz), is the first original Turkish series by Netflix and Cagatay is the lead star actor. It is based on a Turkish mystery novel by Nilufer Ipek Gokdel.

Cagatay plays a double role. He plays Harun, Istanbul’s first protector, and Hakan Demir, the last protector. The plot follows through the quest of the main character in embracing his family’s legacy as Protector of the city.

The series was released in 2018 and has been streamed quite widely, reaching over 10 million views on Netflix.  It was directed by Can Evrenol, Umut Aral, and Gonence Uyaniki.

His role won him international recognition. He was named  Man of the Year GQ 2019 in the Middle East, Abu Dhabi.

Netflix ordered a wax statue at Madame Tussauds museum in Istanbul for Harun, the character played by Catagay. It was put on display in 2020.

8. He has appeared in commercials alongside Victoria’s Secret models

Model Taylor Marie Hill. Photo by Christopher Macsurak. Wikimedia Commons.

In 2014, he filmed for Elle Magazine Turkey with model Julie Ordon.

He featured in the filming of Colin’s commercial ‘Bize Uyar’, alongside Victoria’s Secret model Taylor Marie Hill in 2016.

He became the face of Colin’s in Turkey. Colin’s is a jeans brand.

9. Cagatay was the image for Ramsy brand and designer for T-shirts in 2011

The T-shirts were a special collection for young men. They were designed by Ramsey and drawn by Cagatay. The brand was named Ramsey-Onix.

Catagay suggested the name Onix. For the design, the actor was inspired by the book Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka.

10. He has won awards

Cagatay Ulusoy at the 2015 Seoul International Drama Awards. Photo by Mohak Kumar. Wikimedia Commons.

In 2015, he won Best Actor in the Golden Butterfly Awards. In 2014, he was named Best Stylish Actor in the Turkey Elle Style Awards.

His role in The Protector earned him the GQ Man of the Year Turkey and the GQ Middle East Television Star of the Year.