بیوگرافی
Songul Oden was born in Diyarbakir, Turkey, and raised in a single-parent household alongside four sisters and a brother. Her self-taught mother served as a strong role model. Oden discovered her passion for acting during her senior year of high school and began training at Ankara Art Theatre (AST). She also pursued part-time music studies at Hacettepe University's Voice Department before earning her degree from Ankara University's Faculty of Language, History and Geography, Department of Theater, where she graduated at the top of her class.
Oden launched her professional stage career with numerous productions at Ankara Trial Stage, the State Theatres of Trabzon and Diyarbakir, and various private companies. Her early roles in "Kadinciklar" and "Kucuk Adam Ne Oldu Sana?" garnered her nominations and awards for Best Actress. She rose to national fame in 2005 with the lead role in the TV series "Gumus," portraying a young woman from a traditional family striving to succeed in a textile factory through skill and determination. The series became a major hit in Turkey and gained international popularity across the Balkans, the Middle East, Turkic countries, Russia, and South America, with its final episode attracting 80 million viewers. This role established Oden as a cultural icon and a well-recognized representative of Turkey abroad, earning her the nickname "the Rose of Turkey" in the Middle East. She was also appointed as a Friendship Ambassador between Bulgaria and Turkey.
Following "Gumus," Oden starred in several Turkish TV series, including "Umutsuz Ev Kadinlari," the Turkish adaptation of the American series "Desperate Housewives," where she played the equivalent of Susan Mayer, originally portrayed by Terry Hatcher. This adaptation was also successful internationally, setting sales records in broadcast countries. She led another adaptation, "Bir Aile Hikayesi," based on "This Is Us," and currently stars as "Zeynep," a woman whose child faces accusations of a serious crime, in the TV series "Oglum."
Oden has also made significant contributions to film, featuring in critically and commercially acclaimed movies such as "Eksi Elmalar" (Yilmaz Erdogan), "Beni Cok Sev" (Mehmet Ada Oztekin), "Aci Ask" (Taner Elhan), "72. Kogus" (Murat Saracoglu), and "Ruzgarda Salinan Nilufer" (Seren Yuce). Additionally, she has played memorable roles in digital productions like "Phi" (Mert Baykal), "Seref Bey" (Onur Unlu), and "Uysallar" (Onur Saylak). Oden is set to portray "Zubeyde Hanim" in the anticipated Disney Plus film about Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, with production scheduled to begin in summer 2022.
Beyond her extensive acting career spanning over two decades in theatre, television, and cinema, Songul Oden is also a writer of short stories and screenplays. She began writing for the stage at 21, participating in a collective project adapting Attila Ilhan's poetry into the play "Ne Kadinlar Sevdim," in which she also played "The Woman." Her latest work, a collection of short stories, is slated for publication in 2023.
In 2011, Oden was appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). As the face of UNFPA in Turkey, she advocates for vulnerable groups, especially girls, women, and refugees. She regularly takes part in discussion panels, social awareness campaigns, and visits UNFPA projects across Turkey. Her experiences in this role inspired her to co-create the critically acclaimed one-woman show "Lal Hayal," which weaves together tragicomic stories of seven fictional female characters inspired by real-life accounts of women and field workers she encountered. She continues to perform "Lal Hayal" nationally and internationally, using her art to broaden conversations on women's issues.
Throughout her distinguished career, Songul Oden has earned numerous awards for her exceptional performances in theatre, television, and film. She brings depth and complexity to her portrayals of women from diverse backgrounds, attributing her empathetic approach to her mother’s influence and early life experiences.
Songul Oden is married to businessman Arman Bicakci, a director at Sevan Bicakci Jewelry, a high-end jewelry design company based in Istanbul. They share their home with three cats, each named after iconic characters from the Golden Age of Turkish cinema.
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