Meral Okay

Meral Okay (Turkish pronunciation: [meˈɾal oˈkaj], née Katı; September 20, 1959 – April 9, 2012) was a Turkish actress, film producer and screenwriter.

Meral Okay
Born
Meral Katı

(1959-09-20)September 20, 1959
Ankara, Turkey
DiedApril 9, 2012(2012-04-09) (aged 52)
Istanbul, Turkey
Resting placeZincirlikuyu Cemetery, Istanbul
NationalityTurkish
OccupationActress, film producer and screenwriter
Notable work
Second Spring, Muhteşem Yüzyıl
Spouse(s)Yaman Okay (m. 1984–1993; his death)

Early years

Okay was born on September 20, 1959 in Ankara to military judge Ata Katı and Türkan as the second child. During her childhood, she moved with her family across Turkey due to her father's duty. After completing the high school in Ankara, she began working at the governmental agency "Turkish Grain Board" (Turkish: Toprak Mahsulleri Ofisi, TMO).[1][2]

During the 1980 Turkish coup d'état era, she was a member of the socialist Workers Party of Turkey (TİP) and union spokesperson at her workplace.[3]

In 1983, Meral Katı moved to Istanbul to enter the daily Günaydın. She later contributed to the establishment of the publication company "İletişim", and took part in the team that prepared the Turkish edition of Playboy magazin.[2]

She married in 1984 to stage and movie actor Yaman Okay, she had already met in Ankara. Her husband's profession paved her the way for entry into the world of cinema.[2]

Career

Maral Okay became known for roles in Turkish films and television series.[4] She also produced the television series, Second Spring from 1998 to 2001.[4] For one of her last projects, Okay worked as the main screenwriter for the historical soap opera, Muhteşem Yüzyıl, based on the life of Ottoman sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.[4]

Family life

Her husband Yaman Okay died in 1993 at the age of 41 from pancreatic cancer.[4] In the summer months of 2011, Meral Okay was diagnosed with lung cancer. She died from complications of the disease on April 9, 2012, at the age of 52.[4][5] Following the religious funeral at Bebek Mosque, she was buried beside her husband's grave at the Zincirlikuyu Cemetery.[1][6]

For her role in the movie Beynelmilel, she was awarded "Best Supporting Actress" at the 2007 International Adana Golden Boll Film Festival.

Works

Her notable works are:[5]

As actress
  • Seni Seviyorum Rosa (1992) film
  • Yeditepe İstanbul (2001) TV series
  • Second Spring (1998–2001) TV series
  • Beynelmilel (2006), film
  • Bir Bulut Olsam (2009) TV series
As screenwriter
  • Hiçbiryerde (2001) film
  • Yeditepe İstanbul (2001) TV series
  • Asmalı Konak with Mahinur Ergun (2002-2004) TV series
  • Bir Bulut Olsam (2009) TV series
  • Muhteşem Yüzyıl (2011–2012) TV series
Others
  • Propaganda (1999) – public relations
  • Yarın Geç Olmayacak (2000) – producer
  • İstanbul Şahidimdir (2004) – project designer
  • Körfez Ateşi (2005) – project consultant
  • Beynelmilel (2006) – production coordinator

References
  1. Koca, Fuat (2012-04-10). "Meral Okay Son Yolculuğuna Uğurlandı". TRT Haber (in Turkish). Retrieved 2012-04-21.
  2. "Meral Okay Biyografi" (in Turkish). Biyografi. Retrieved 2012-04-22.
  3. "12 Eylül'e şimdi de pavyondan bakıyor". Radikal (in Turkish). 2006-12-30. Archived from the original on 2014-05-04. Retrieved 2012-04-21.
  4. "Turkish scriptwriter, actress Meral Okay passes away". Zaman. 2012-04-09. Archived from the original on 2012-04-15. Retrieved 2012-04-15.
  5. "'Evet kanserim'". NTV MSNBC (in Turkish). 2011-08-15. Retrieved 2012-04-21.
  6. "'Adamların Adamı'nın yanına defnedilecek". Milliyet (in Turkish). 2012-04-10. Retrieved 2012-04-21.
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