Yeşilçam’s ’bad man,’ a street vendor now
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Doğan News Agency
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mart 10, 2009 00:00
EDİRNE - Niyazi Taligacı, a veteran supporting actor on the Yeşilçam scene, the Turkish answer to Hollywood, now makes his living selling desserts on the streets of the northwestern city of Edirne. Taligacı, 72, is known as "Ustura Kemal" (Razor Kemal) after a cinematic role he played many years ago.
Taligaci, who is married with two children, began acting in 1967 and appeared in more than 50 Yeşilçam movies. "I retired from Yeşilçam 17 years ago, but I can’t make a living on my pension of 500 Turkish Liras," Taligaci said. "That’s why I started selling dessert on the streets."
Taligaci’s first role in Turkish cinema was in "Çiğdem’in Gözyaşları" (Çiğdem’s Tears). He also appeared in "Bahtı Karalı Yarim" (My Ill-Fated Lover), "Ölüme Son Adım" (Final Step to Death), "Vahşi Kan" (Wild Blood), "Çöl" (Desert), "Ölüm Treni" (Death Train) and many others. "I was always the bad man of the movies," he said.
Explaining how he became known as "Razor Kemal," Taligacı said. "While shooting the film ’Death Train,’ starring the famous Cüneyt Arkın, director Çetin İnaç said, ’Get a razor haircut and play this role. Everyone will know you as Ustura Kemal. You need to do this in order to become famous.’ I did what he said and became known by this name in all [my] movies."
’I live by selling dessert’
One of the oldest living actors from 1960s Turkish cinema, Taligaci said the industry was very unfaithful, leaving most of his actor friends to die on the streets. "One of the others who survives is Hüseyin Zan. He is now receiving cancer treatment at Okmeydanı Hospital, but he is alone," Taligaci said. "Hayati Hamzaoğlu died of cancer. Bilal İnci died in a hotel room. And I live by selling dessert on the streets. If I don’t, I can’t survive."
Taligaci’s first role in Turkish cinema was in "Çiğdem’in Gözyaşları" (Çiğdem’s Tears). He also appeared in "Bahtı Karalı Yarim" (My Ill-Fated Lover), "Ölüme Son Adım" (Final Step to Death), "Vahşi Kan" (Wild Blood), "Çöl" (Desert), "Ölüm Treni" (Death Train) and many others. "I was always the bad man of the movies," he said.
Explaining how he became known as "Razor Kemal," Taligacı said. "While shooting the film ’Death Train,’ starring the famous Cüneyt Arkın, director Çetin İnaç said, ’Get a razor haircut and play this role. Everyone will know you as Ustura Kemal. You need to do this in order to become famous.’ I did what he said and became known by this name in all [my] movies."
’I live by selling dessert’
One of the oldest living actors from 1960s Turkish cinema, Taligaci said the industry was very unfaithful, leaving most of his actor friends to die on the streets. "One of the others who survives is Hüseyin Zan. He is now receiving cancer treatment at Okmeydanı Hospital, but he is alone," Taligaci said. "Hayati Hamzaoğlu died of cancer. Bilal İnci died in a hotel room. And I live by selling dessert on the streets. If I don’t, I can’t survive."