Akin Akinozu was interviewed by Deniz Ulkutekin for the November 27, 2022 issue of Cumhuriyet Pazar.
Keeping hope (umut) alive
Akın Akınözü is an actor who becomes the character that he plays.
He ponders their inner world; he even makes a playlist of songs for them.
Umut, the character he plays in Tuzak is no different. According to Akinozu, Umut who began a journey for revenge, is after justice. He adds, “To date, he is the character whose cause I believe in most.”
Justice, not revenge!
We talked with Akın Akınözü, the actor of the TV series Tuzak– who increases his fan base day by day, and his character, Umut, who seeks revenge, and Akınözü’s view on acting.
Is revenge a way to mete out justice? TV8’s new broadcasting season blockbuster, “Tuzak” poses this question to the audience. Akın Akınözü, who successfully plays the character of Umut as the lead role in the series, also has something to say about it. He is an actor who enriches the world of thought with philosophy on his journey as a mathematician. He also approaches the characters in this way. Let’s hear what he has to say.
– Tuzak is about a revenge. Revenge is a very powerful emotion. How do you view the concept of revenge?
“Tuzak” is actually about justice. I think in our story, revenge represents the emotional fuel used to find justice. While strong emotions such as revenge can be unhealthy and destructive when they overtake a person, they can be the key to achieving more virtuous goals, such as justice, when properly guided by one’s intelligence and will.
– Do you think your character Umut is justified in his desire for revenge?
Yes, I find that his demand for justice is justified, and I greatly admire his ability to manage his sense of vengeance on his journey. Umut is the character whose cause I believe in the most to date.
Umut’s playlist
-I know that you are highly interested in music. What are the most streamed songs on your Spotify list these days? Could you share them with us?
I make a new playlist for each character I play. During set hours, the play list that I prepared for my character is usually playing in the background. I’ll give you a couple of examples for Umut:
Levent Yuksel -Tuana, Pinhani – Dunyadan Uzak, Nina Simone – Sinnerman (Sofi Tukker Remix)
– According to your colleagues, you have a somewhat interesting origin story. A mother who encouraged her son to study at the conservatory. However, her son had numbers on his mind and wanted to study mathematics. You have a good saying: “I’m driven to solve problems in acting.” Was it the discovery of an approach that suited your way of thinking that started your passion for acting?
In fact, it was the discovery that it was not suitable for my way of thinking… I was excited by the prospect of taking a journey into the unknown where my mathematical way of thinking would be challenged and tested. But it was mathematics that gave me the strength and confidence to take this step.
Unique
-I came across a very nice comment you made about Joachim Phoenix. You said, “Like Marlon Brando, he created a new way of art in acting”. I think this comment reinforces the link you have established between acting and analytical thinking. How do you approach creating a character in your profession? It is said, “Every story has mathematics behind it.” Does every character have its own mathematics too?
Joaquin Phoenix accepted his role in the movie “Joker” on the condition that there be no memorization, continuity or rehearsal requirement for any scene. Because he realized that he can achieve the chaotic and spontaneous mathematics of the character he plays only if all possibilities are open in every scene. When Todd Philips, the director of the project, went to editing, he said that he had a million Jokers…
Even though we see only one Joker, we feel the chaos that contains a million different possibilities at every moment. This example clearly shows both how to approach a character and how each character has its own unique mathematics.
-You’re called “the new generation’s handsome and talented actor”. Based on this description, I want to ask: In your opinion what is the difference between classical acting and today’s lead actor and the acting of the old times?
As the spirit of the times change, the forms of expression that appeal to people also change with it. That’s why, I think what’s valuable is not the new generation actor, but the ability and flexibility to lead each generation’s way of expressing themselves.
– You have a relationship that almost everyone admires. At the same time, you are appreciated and held up as an example with your explanations and behaviors. So how do you stay away from possible bad habits and behavior patterns brought on by fame?
By focusing on the value that it adds to my life and the responsibilities that it brings instead of focusing on the possible bad habits and attitudes it might bring about.
–There was a period of time in your adolescence that you spent in the US. Why did you go there? What is left to you from that experience?
I spent my whole adolescence there. I had gone to study at a university. But when I look back on it today, I understand it better. Rather than having studied at one of the most reputable universities in the world, I actually obtained the courage and maturity that I needed to step into the world of acting -which is my profession today- by leaving my family at 17 and going to the other side of the world, to a culture and geography that I had never known….
asking questions is valuable
– You have an interest in philosophy and I think you have studied philosophy as well. In your opinion, how can a person’s philosophical way of thinking impact his world of thought and have a positive effect on his daily life, profession and decisions?
Philosophy is the art of thinking, and through philosophy we learn to ask questions. For me, asking questions has always been more valuable than answering them because without asking questions, it is not possible for us to progress in our daily life, in our career, or in the decisions we make. Today’s computers have already reached the point where they give answers faster, more accurately and even more aesthetically than we do. However, we are still the ones asking the questions. More important than its positive effect on our lives, jobs and decision, philosophy is the school of one of the most important actions that humankind needs in order to exist freely.
The interview in turkish
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