Meryem Uzerli

Meryem Sarah Uzerli (; born 12 August 1982 ) is a German Turkish actress best known for her starring role as Hürrem Sultan in Muhteşem Yüzyıl (2011–2013), Kovan and RU (2024). She is the recipient of two Golden Butterfly Awards.

Early life Uzerli was born on 12 August 1982, to Hüseyin, from Turkey and Ursula from Germany. Her mother was head of a university examination office. Her father was a lecturer in social pedagogy. Meryem grew up in Kassel and attended a Waldorf school. She has two older brothers and an older sister, Canan, who is a jazz musician. Her maternal great-grandmother was a Croat. Due to her father's nationality, she has both Turkish-German citizenship.

Career

2011–13: Muhteşem Yüzyıl She made her acting debut with minor parts in German productions. She later made minor appearances in the television series Notruf Hafenkante (2010) and Ein Fall für zwei (2010). Uzerli is also known for her roles in German films like Journey of No Return (2010) and Jetzt aber Ballett (2010). At the end of 2010, she was chosen by Meral Okay for her first leading role in the Turkish TV series Muhteşem Yüzyıl (2011–2013).

Uzerli's most known breakout role is as Hürrem Sultan in the historical television drama series Muhteşem Yüzyıl, directed by the Taylan Brothers. In 2010, after an eight-month search to find the best actress for this role, she was chosen by Meral Okay, the series' screenwriter, and Timur Savcı, the series' producer. About her selection, she said: "Until one day the phone rang, I was invited for a casting in Turkey, and then immediately I started living in Istanbul almost full time." She lived in a hotel for two years during the shooting of Muhteşem Yüzyıl. She shared the leading role with Halit Ergenç, Okan Yalabık and Nebahat Çehre. She won the Golden Butterfly Award for Best Actress for this part in 2012. In 2013, she left the series due to health concerns, reportedly a burnout. From episode 103 and onwards, Vahide Perçin was cast in to play an older version of Hürrem.

2014–present: Gecenin Kraliçesi and Annemin Yarası At the end of 2014, Uzerli signed a contract with O3, the Turkish production company of MBC Group. As of December 2014, she was still living in Berlin, but planning to move to Istanbul. In October 2015, she was again introduced among the TV's stars for 2016. About her future, she says: "I am trying to build on my international success within any industry where actors are respected as artists, and where I can find great scripts that allow me to delve into a story that leaves the here and now behind." The series' name was later announced as Gecenin Kraliçesi. It is directed by Muhteşem Yüzyıl directors, the Taylan Brothers. Some of the scenes for this series were filmed in Cannes, France. It premiered on Star TV in January 2016.

In addition to her career in television, Uzerli also appeared in a cinema movie in 2016, titled Annemin Yarası. The film was released in March 2016. Between 2016 and 2017, she appeared in a guest role on Eşkiya Dünyaya Hükümdar Olmaz. In 2017, she continued her movie career by appearing in Cingöz Recai opposite Kenan İmirzalıoğlu, although the film was not a box office success. Later in the same year, she shared the leading role with Özcan Deniz and Aslı Enver in the movie Öteki Taraf. In 2019, Uzerli auditioned for a role in the third season of the Netflix original series Dark. She also appeared as the lead role in the movie Kovan, the proceeds of which were donated to Haluk Levent's Ahbap foundation. In 2024 she starred in the show RU playing the character of Reyan. The series was broadcast on the Turkish digital platform GAİN. In October 2024 the series was renewed for a second season. In 2025, she was a guest star in the first season of a Turkish network show Sakir Pasa Ailesi: Mucizeler ve Skandallar.

As a model, she is the face of Blue Diamond, Maison Novague and Morlin Bron eyewear. She was also the face of Russian brand Faberlic an d Trendyol Arabia. In 2025, she starred in a limited series called Antalya Gambit which premiered on YouTube and was used as a promotional material for Türkiye's global tourism brand Go Türkiye.

Personal life On 10 February 2014, she gave birth to a girl, Lara Jemima. A second daughter, Lily, was born on 8 January 2021.

Filmography

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominee Result 2010 47th International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival Special Jury Prize Journey of No Return 2011 24th Tüketici Academy Award Best Female LeadMuhteşem Yüzyıl 2020 Chelsea Film Festival Best Actress 2024 Harper's Bazaar Women Empowerment Award