International Heartthrob, Actor, and Martial Arts Instructor
The dashing Nurettin Sonmez, with his striking Mediterranean looks, rose to Global prominence with his role as Bamsi Beyrek in the superhit Turkish TV historical series – Dirilis: Ertugrul and its sequel – Kurulus: Osman.
Born in Istanbul in 1978, Nurettin is a child of an immigrant family. His mother is an Albanian immigrant while his Turkish father Umit Sonmez is a dentist. Nurettin graduated from the Istanbul University Mining Engineering Department. Realising his passion, he then attended the Dialog Communication Acting School of Can and Arsen Gurzap. Later, he studied theatre at Yeditepe University.
Firming holding the belief that ‘Life itself is a Work of Art’, Nurettin explains, “The instrument of Art is not just the body itself, it’s the body with the mind and the soul. With this point of view since the beginning of my teenage years, I am on the path of finding and transforming myself. Destiny is a program of evolution. I realised that I have to be a good observer and a wise martial artist of spiritualism to realise my goals. If one can achieve this, one can achieve ANYTHING!”
Winner of the prestigious Ayakli Gazete Odul Award in 2021, Nurettin’s acting career got off to a great start in 1999 when he landed a leading role in the film Aksam Gunesi. He became a household name when he portrayed Gaddar Ali in the 2013 series Osmanli’da Derin Devlet. In 2014 came Dirilis: Ertugrul, which eventually propelled him to international stardom, thanks in part to Netflix. Its sequel Kurulus: Osman saw Nurettin reprise his role as Bamsi Beyrek.
However, Nurettin has no plans to return to the franchise as he soars in search of newer pastures. “My passion is to reinvent myself again and again by transforming and evolving with love. For this passion, I constantly need to be surrounded by people; friends, followers, lovers and work colleagues – to share knowledge to live freely inside and out. As this is the goal, being an actor or so to say acting is the best way to articulate self and share light with all beautiful hearts. This indeed is a great journey and adventure. Hence, I am always receptive and open to working in International Cinema to experience different talent, creativity and cultures across the world,” says Nurettin.
In addition to being an actor, Nurettin is also a Martial Arts Instructor.
He specialises in Far East sports and conducts training and seminars in Turkey and abroad. Recently, he also began exploring his latent singing and poetic talents.
He tells us, “To sing, converse, tell a story, and shine on a stage in a football stadium are my desires and goals. Searching and connecting to Ancient Turkish Knowledge, its energy, as I have that blood in my veins, is my motivation. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk is my inspiration. Baris Manco is my lantern. John Lennon, Jim Morrison and Marlon Brando are the captains of my inner seas. And ‘The Creator’ where all the ‘NUR’ (which means Light) and creation comes from is my peace, my protection and my love.”
Nurettin excels as a performer because in truth, he is an advanced EMPATH. Speaking about what he considers his most formidable skill, he says, “I can feel the environment, people around me, and the energy of places. I am like a mirror to a person or place immediately. Because of this gift, I could either be an actor or an agent. Being an actor was a preferable choice for me. As an actor, I get to play many versatile roles depending on the scenario, and I have played many.”
Nurettin is also a believer in hard work over luck, telling us luck always finds and supports people who are dreamers at heart and committed to their craft. What about challenges, we ask him. How does he overcome those? “If you ask me about challenges; there are two types, one external and the other internal. Communication with jealous and narrow minded people is an external challenge. Coming face to face with one’s own weaknesses and restrictive beliefs is the internal challenge. When you are victorious over your internal challenges, the external environment fills with friendly and supportive people and energy,” he answers.
A lover of nature and pets, Nurettin says his greatest achievement is “Being alive and being aware of every moment.”
