Hazal Kaya

Leyla Hazal Kaya (born 1 October 1990) is a Turkish actress best known for her leading roles in Aşk-ı Memnu (2008–2010), Adını Feriha Koydum (2011–2012) and Bizim Hikaye (2017–2019).

Kaya is one of Turkey's highest-paid actresses. She received several accolades and was the only Turkish recipient of the "Lebanon Awards 2015" award. She made her acting debut with a guest role in Acemi Cadı. Kaya gain popularity for Nihal Ziyagil in a modern-day adaptation of the novel Aşk-ı Memnu, written by Halit Ziya Uşaklıgil.

She is best known for playing the role of Feriha Sarrafoglu, Adını Feriha Koydum (2011–2012) and won 2nd Crystal Mouse Media Awards for Best Actress. The series had one of the highest TV ratings in Turkey. She further known for playing Filiz Elibol in Bizim Hikaye (inspired by the British TV show Shameless) (2017–2019) for which she received highly acclaimed and Latina Turkish Awards for Best Actress respectively.

Kaya also plays the lead character Esra / Peride in the time travel historical drama series Midnight at the Pera Palace (2022). The show was premiered on Netflix. She married actor Ali Atay in 2019; they have two children together.

Early life Kaya was born in Konya, Turkey. She attended Gaziosmanpaşa elementary school and graduated in 2009 from the Liceo Italiano di Istanbul. Her parents, who are both lawyers, divorced when she was 7 years old. She played the character of Özge (Gülay Erkaya). She had guest roles in fantasy series Acemi Cadı of Turkish version "Sabrina Teenage Witch", popular series Sıla, "Taşların Sırrı". In 2008, Kaya played Nihal Ziyagil in a modern-day adaptation of the novel Aşk-ı Memnu, written by Halit Ziya Uşaklıgil.

Career progression (2012–2016)

Kaya's turning point came when she starred in the first two seasons of the TV series Adını Feriha Koydum (2011) as the lead character, Feriha Yilmaz. She played the role of a porter's daughter trapped between two lives and falls in love with the most popular student at her university, a rich and handsome boy "Emir Sarrafoğlu" (Çağatay Ulusoy). The series had one of the highest TV ratings in Turkey and was highly acclaimed. Later, together with her mother Ayşegül Kaya, she appeared in the commercials for Bingo. In the late 2012, she left the cast of Adını Feriha Koydum and starred in a new series called Son Yaz Balkanlar 1912, portraying the character Emine. However, the series ended after a few episodes due to low ratings.

She later appeared in the 2013 series A.Ş.K and played the character of Azra Özak, a tennis coach. That series also ended after 13 episodes. In 2015 she appeared in Maral: En Güzel Hikayem, opposite Aras Bulut İynemli. She played the leading character Maral Erdem.

Established actress (2017–present)

After a break of one year, she starred in TV show Bizim Hikaye (in English: Our Story), which is the Turkish adaptation of the American TV series Shameless. In this TV show Kaya plays "Filiz Elibol Aktan", (a young girl forced to take care of her five younger siblings after her mother left the lower-class family) opposite actor Burak Deniz. Writing for Vatan, "She reacted positively to Hazal Kaya's acting, stating while watching Filiz on the screen". The series received positive response and kaya's performance was highly acclaimed and teamed as "remarkable" and received several accolades including 19th Internet Media Best of the Year Awards for Best Actress and Latina Turkish Awards for Best Series Pair (Burak Deniz). The series was aired in variety of languages.

As of 2021, she shares the leading roles with Bugra Gulsoy and Ozan Dolunay in the TV series Misafir, an adaptation of the Japanese TV series Oasis. Since 2010, she appears as Behzat's dead daughter "Berna" in some episodes and film of hit crime series Behzat Ç.

Personal life She married actor Ali Atay on 6 February 2019, and gave birth to their son later that year. Their daughter was born in February 2023. In April 2023, prosecutors demanded that Kaya be imprisoned for two years and four months for a tweet in which she allegedly had insulted a Turkish sergeant who was sentenced to ten years imprisonment for having raped Ipek Er.

In the media Kaya is one of Turkey's highest-paid actresses. Ichaps, having chosen the most important names of 2014 in many categories, included Hazal Kaya among the "most influential names in the world" and granted her the medal of international excellence in the category of artists. According to the results of a survey conducted on the United Arab Emirates-based MBC channels, which ranked Turkish series and special programs, she ranked 4th on the list of most admired Turkish women artists. At the same time, official surveys covering the August 2010–August 2015 period, taken in 35 countries, placed her 6th on the list of 10 most popular actresses. She was also the only Turkish recipient of the "Lebanon Awards 2015" award. According to the results obtained from 35 countries between May 2011 and May 2016, Kaya was the 6th most popular actress. In May 2016, she rose to number five on the list. The website World's Most Beautifuls ranked her fifth on the list of 10 most beautiful women of 2016.

Filmography Films Year Title Role Notes2011 Çalgı Çengi Young girl at the warehouse Special guest appearance 2011 Behzat Ç. Seni Kalbime Gömdüm Berna Ç. Special guest appearance 2011 Ay Büyürken Uyuyamam Hülya Leading role 2012 Bu Son Olsun Lale Leading role 2013 Mavi Dalga Arzu Supporting role 2014 İtirazım Var Zeynep Bulut Leading role 2015 Kırık Kalpler Bankası Aslım Leading role 2022 Benden Ne Olur? Sertab Bal Leading role

Television Year Title Role Notes 2006–2007 Acemi Cadı Pelin Guest appearance 2006 Taşların Sırrı Bengü Guest appearance 2006–2008 Sıla Berrin Guest appearance 2007–2008 Genco Özge (Gülay Erkaya) supporting role 2008–2010 Aşk-ı Memnu Nihal Ziyagil supporting role 2010 Behzat Ç. Bir Ankara Polisiyesi Berna Ç. Guest appearance 2011–2012 Adını Feriha Koydum Feriha Yılmaz Sarrafoğlu Leading role 2012 Son Yaz-Balkanlar 1912 Emine Leading role 2013 A.Ş.K. Azra Özak Leading role 2015 Maral: En Güzel Hikayem Maral Erdem Leading role 2017–2019 Bizim Hikaye Filiz Elibol Aktan Leading role 2020 Menajerimi Ara Herself Guest appearance 2021 Misafir Gece / Güneş Leading role

Web series Year Title Role Notes2022–Midnight at the Pera PalaceEsra / PerideLeading role

Other work and image In advertising Year Commercials 2006 Tofita 2007 Nescafé 2007 Molped 2007 Turkcell 2008 Eti Burçak 2010 Penti 2012 Bingo 2014 Lux Arabia 2020–2021 İstegelsin 2021 Önlem Bebek Bezi

In music videos Year Music video 2008 Aslı Güngör - "İzmir Bilir Ya" 2011 Selçuk Balcı - "Deniz Üstünde Fener" 2017 Çağatay Akman - "Bizim Hikaye" with Burak Deniz 2018Cihan Mürtezaoğlu - "Bizim Hikaye" with Burak Deniz

Awards and nominations

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Result 2010 Kavram Olympic Awards Best Young Actress 2011 Ayaklıgazete.com Awards The Most Beautiful Actress 2011 Dizifilm.com Oscars Best Drama Actress 2012 Ayaklıgazete.com Awards Best Actress in History Series 2012 Televizyondizisi.com Awards Most Popular Actress 2012 Sosyalmedya.cc Awards Best Actress 2012 Eniyiyisec.com Awards Best Actress 2012 Bakmoda.com Awards Best Actress 2013 Sayidaty Arab Journal Best Turkish Female Star 2013 2nd Crystal Mouse Media Awards Best Actress 2013 MagaziMedya.com Turkey's Most Beautiful Screen Face 2013 Gazete5.com Best Actress 2013 Sizcene.com Awards The Most Beautiful TV Actress in Turkey 2013 Magazincity.com Awards Best Actress on TV 2013 Politics Magazine Awards TV Actress of the Year 2013 YılınFenomeni.com Phenomenon Actress of the Year 2013 OMÜ 3rd Media Awards Best Actress 2014 Ayaklıgazete.com Awards Best Drama Actress 2014 5th KTÜ Media Awards The Most Admired Actress 2014 Bilgisefi.com The Most Beautiful Actress in Turkey 2014 Felsebiyat Journal Cinema Nominees The Actress of the Year 2014 The Medal of Excellence for the Most Influential Figures in the World Awards Medal of Excellence 2014 Top 33 of The Most Beautiful Women on TV Awards The Breathtaking Women 2015 Lebanon Awards Best Actress 2015 TelevizyonDizisi.com Awards Best Actress 2015 Marie Claire Turkey The Most Favorite Actress 2015 Eurasia Best Awards Best Actress 2015 4th Crystal Mouse Media Awards Best Actress 2016 7th KTÜ Media Awards The Most Admired Actress 2017 Latina Turkish Awards Best Kissing Scene (Hazal Kaya - Çağatay Ulusoy) 2017 Turkey Youth Awards Best TV Actress 2017 Stars of the Year Awards Most Popular Female TV Series 2018 IU Student Council 1453 Awards Best Actress of the Year 2019 Latina Turkish Awards Best Actress 2019 Latina Turkish Awards Best Series Pair (Hazal Kaya - Burak Deniz) 2019 Istanbul Aydın University Communication Awards Best Actress 2021 Istanbul University 7th Golden 61 Awards Best Advertising Face of the Year