In Matera they had to put up barriers to contain the adoring fans. In every part of the world (especially in Latin and Mediterranean countries) it finds a huge crowd welcoming it. Even in Mexico they had to block half the city for her. In short, Hilal Altinbilek, for the people of the TV series Züleyha, is now a star of such greatness that it fills the squares with her. And all this for just one soap (but it is now inappropriate to call them soaps), or rather the first soap in which she was the protagonist: Bitter Earth. It is the Turkish drama which – with its mix of love, passion, intrigue, subterfuge, revenge – on Canale 5 has exceeded all expectations, earning prime time, and then the challenge at the Sanremo Festival. In the season finale she even beat Raiuno’s Talent Catcher. In Italy, which she loves, she came as the main guest at the Matera Fiction event. She was born in Izmir, 33 years old, of Croatian origins on her mother’s side and Kosovan origins on her father’s side, with a degree in business economics, she made her debut in 2011, at twenty years old, in Derin Sular (Deep Waters).
Hilal, Turkish series are achieving resounding success in Italy…
«We have a lot in common with Italians: the warmth, the crowded family meals, the joy and drama, the Mediterranean culture».
In general, what do you think about the success of the Turkish audiovisual industry?
«According to research, 700 million people in almost 170 countries are currently watching our series. Fast, high-quality production, lasting 2 hours, and a solid dramatic structure are the main reasons for this success.”
What did being the protagonist of Bitter Earth mean to you?
«I remember the moment I read the script for the first time. Züleyha is a character who always manages to rise from the ashes. She impressed me a lot. She is beautiful and intelligent and she manages to survive despite her bad experiences. These ingredients convinced me to accept the role of her. And, of course, I was part of a very strong team with our writer, director and production team, key ingredients for success.”
What relationship does it have with Italy? What do you like?
«I love the enthusiasm of Italians. It’s a country I try to visit every chance I get. Last year I went to Sicily, we flew over Etna in a helicopter, it was very impressive. I also love cooking and the sea. And it is impossible not to adore Matera which has an impressive atmosphere.”
How did you start acting? Did you have this aspiration since you were little?
“I decided to become an actress when I joined the drama club in secondary school. I remember my excitement as if it were yesterday. After studying economics at university, I began a theater education and luckily I took part in the right projects that brought me here.”
Where will we see her in the next few months?
«I just closed the set of My wonderful Life: it will be released in Italy next year. Just think that in Türkiye the episodes finish shooting in the morning and are broadcast the same evening.”
But for the viewers she will remain Züleyha…
«In fact, I stopped a year after the end of the fourth season of Bitter Earth because I wanted the public to start forgetting about me as the protagonist of that series to start other projects. In September I will shoot a film.”
He knows the
Italian series? Who would you like to work with?
«I don’t know Italian fiction, but I know the director Ferzan Özpetek and I would really like to work with him because his films combine Italian culture with Turkish culture».
