Izzet Gunay was born in Sariyer, Istanbul. His father was a wharf clerk at Sirket-i Hayriye.

He studied at the Naval College. He graduated from Haydarpasa High School. He worked as a technical draftsman at the Istanbul Municipality Zoning Directorate. She taught dance for a while. He started amateur theater while he was in high school. He continued his interest in theater in the Green Crescent Youth Branch. After returning from military service, he was engaged in the lignite trade for a while. In 1957, he entered the Dormen Theater with a newspaper advertisement. He started professional acting there, first appearing in a small role in the play "Kara Agaclar Altinda". Later: "Sokak Kizi Irma", "Pasifik Sarkisi", "Zafer Madalyasi" and many other plays between 1957-1963. He was stage manager.

In 1958, he started acting as Zeki Müuen's driver in Kemal Film's film "Kirik Plak". After minor roles in a few films, he became the leading actor in the movie "Varan Bir" (1964). He achieved success in the cinema in a short time. He received the "Best Actor" award at the 1964 Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival with the film "Agaclar Ayakta Olur", adapted from a foreign play, in which he played the leading role.

For economic reasons, he took the stage for a while and performed as a Classical Turkish Classical Music soloist. In the following years, he acted in a small number of television series. The artist, who collected stamps from a very young age, later became interested in collecting money, medals and medallions. He opened a shop on antiques in 1985. He provided consultancy on collecting and antiques, which is his area of expertise.

See photos of celebrities before they hit the big-time.

Izzet Günay

Actor

Self

Archive Footage