Quarantine has been a time for reflection for many. Although, with this much time staying indoors, it for sure has fired up the imagination. Especially with Akin off grid!
So Akin’s North American fans decided to have a little fun. A few weeks ago at the height of the Coronavirus pandemic, Akin Akinozu North America forum asked group members, if they could ask any question of Akin, what would they ask? Some of the fan questions were then shared with Akin, with the hope that he would respond. And what do you know?! He did! Not only that, he gave some well thought out answers as a ‘Thank you’ to his fans and their interest in him.
With his permission we have shared the questions and reproduced his exact answers below. Take a look to see if Akin has responded to your question.
1. What aftershave do you wear?
It is a personally tailored mix based on musk. No evasion, the truth=))) But there is also Terre D’Hermes which is my all time favorite perfume on the market.
2. What did you enjoy about the last book you read?
The last book I read was “Finland: The Country of White Lilies” by Gregory Petrov. It is a book recommended by the founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. It is a pretty inspirational book in terms of with right mindset and education there is always hope for awakening.
3. Which 3 people (deceased or alive) would you want to invite for supper and why?
Bill Clinton once said; “Shakespeare wrote, Einstein thought and Ataturk built.” I would definitely invite these three people mentioned=)
4. Do you play a musical instrument?
No. But as an actor I know that my body is my instrument, and I have been learning how to play this instrument and make good music out of it. In acting or in any other art form, I believe when you get close to the level of music, you are on the right way.
5. Who’s your favorite philosopher?
Epictetus. I would recommend Enchiridion for everyone, specially for modern day politicians.
6. What’s the last song you listened to on your listening device? What’s your favorite season? If you weren’t an actor what would you be?
- Specially during these quarantine days, I am pretty into discovering new playlists on Spotify so there are many…
- Fall, maybe because I was born in September=)
- I would pursue an academic career in Applied Mathematics.
7. How has Miran’s character influenced you as Akin?
Follow your heart.
8-9. How do you prepare yourself mentally for emotionally tiring scenes? What’s the funnest part of being an actor?
You have to be mentally prepared for not only emotionally tiring scenes but for all the scenes you are responsible for. Actors should think, train and behave like athletes. It is a 24/7 job. So you have to build solid working habits, apply them without any excuses and seek for improvement in every opportunity. When it comes to action, you gotta trust your work and let it give fruition in ways you can never imagine, which is the most exciting and the funnest part of being an actor. I guess this also answers your next question;)
10. As a mathematician, what profession would you go into?
Academic career in Applied Mathematics.
11. Do you miss anything about the US?
So many things… I went to the US when I was 17 and I stayed there till I was 23 so as you imagine, many of my first memories as an adolescent are attached to US. In coming years, I hope I will be able to work actively in the US.
12. What kind of music do you listen to?
Music is my drug=))) I mostly depend on music to get inspired for anything so I keep my range as wide as possible.
13. Is there an American or international actor that you admire the most?
After his last performance in Joker, I would definitely say Joaquin Phoenix. I watched his behind the scenes clips and I was fascinated with his spontaneity in each take. I believe he did what Marlon Brando did at his time, delivered a new way of craft for acting. It is admirable…
14. If you were cast in a movie re-make, what character in a well-known film would you wish to play?
Jack Dawson in Titanic.
15. What theatrical advice did your mother give you once you decided that you wanted to act professionally?
Not any theatrical advise in terms of what you asked. But she gave me her full support and trust which I needed most.
16. Why did you leave your studies just before you graduated.
Once I got excited about the possibility of applying mathematical understanding into art, I wanted to take a step before I lost that excitement. I knew if I let myself graduate from the university, I would be already on a different path, I would lose my excitement and eat up my soul with the question “what if”…
17. Why do you smoke?
There is a quote from Jack Nicholson; “The only way to break a bad habit is to replace it with a better habit. ” I could not find a better one for it=)))
18. How did you meet your girlfriend?
It was such a beautiful coincidence and it still feels like magic, so I don’t want to reveal the secret=)))
19. What precautions do you take for not losing your voice, with all this shouting?
Not any specific precaution for not losing my voice. Of course, I take care of my body with proper nutrition and physical exercise. But here is what I believe; when you have strong intention and shouting comes as an inevitable result of that intention, your body is amazingly capable of finding a way to adapt any circumstances. What does not kill you makes you stronger… I can assure you that my vocal cords have gotten stronger=)))
20. Favorite movie?
All time favorite is hard to tackle so I am gonna go with recent favorite. Parasite. I think It is a lesson for filmmaking in all terms. Totally deserved the Oscar for the best picture.
21.What are the characteristics that you hate the most in other people, what can you not stand, what disgusts you?
Loyalty is what I value most. Disloyalty is what I hate most.
22. Do you have an outdoor hobby?
There is a lot of outdoor activities going on in acting=))) I guess that is why I prefer mostly indoor hobbies in my personal time.
23. Apart from yourself, who is your favorite actor/actress?
Apart from myself ??? I don’t know if I would put my name on my favorite list=))) I mentioned Joaquin Phoenix as an actor and as an actress I would say Meryl Streep, she is like the goddess of acting, isn’t she?
24. What time do you normally go to bed? Just curious.
I am such a night owl. I tend to do my creative thinking during the night time. I have had this attitude since childhood. Interestingly it gives me such an advantage in late night shootings=)))
25. If any, what is your favorite American food?
I don’t eat hamburger anymore because I have become pescatarian. However, when I was in Los Angeles, there was a hamburger place called Apple Pan and it tasted non-comparable to anything I have ever eaten so far. If I were to cheat on something, that would be it=)
26. Who is your favorite Turkish singer male/female?
Sezen Aksu. I love and respect her music so much.
27. Who would you love to act with in a lead role, Turkish actress?
Farah Zeynep Abdullah, I like her energy.
28. Who is your favorite Turkish actor and actress?
Haluk Bilginer. His never-ending childlike enthusiasm is so inspirational…
29. Favorite food?
Sushi.
30. Have you ever thought of directing a movie or a series?
Not yet=)))
31. Have you done theater? If yes, how did you like it? If not, why not?
I have never done theater but I gave myself a promise for doing it because I believe theatre is the strongest medium for an actor to experience the art of acting. I do not even consider myself as an actor without experiencing acting on the stage.
32. At what age did you find out that you liked math?
Then I wake you up;) In high school, I was fortunate to have a teacher who turned mathematics into a challenging game, and I realized I liked this game.
33. Who is your idol in life?
Marcus Aurelius. He is the only exception to John Acton’s sage remark: power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
34. What are your future plans for your career and in general?
I have learned not to make any plans but to figure out my intensions and motivations instead. I want to touch people’s hearts, express and discover myself through different stories and characters, reveal my true potential and hopefully leave a meaningful footprint with the least amount of carbon in it=)
There you have it! Those are all Akin’s answers in his own words. We truly appreciate his diligence and thoughtfulness in responding to his fans. Maybe quarantine isn’t so bad after all….
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