Cagatay Ulusoy ❖ All About Cagatay ❖ CNN Turk 2011 ❖ Closed Captions

Yes. Cagatay, come ...

that's it!

Cagatay

That's it!

3...

-Ok?
-Ok.

2...1...

Action.

Cagatay.

In "Adini Feriha Koydum" series you are portraying

a very calm, respectful character -of course, except for the abnormal situations.

Are you like him in your normal life too?

Or have you had some crazy years?

Well, everyone probably had their crazy years.

Though I'm only 21.

You're very young.
-Yes.

I guess I calmed down early. I don't know...

It might be due to my personality.

But I went through a real crazy period too.

Especially through elementary school years.

-I was crazy those times.
-You were an incorrigible kid?

Yes, I was hyperactive.

I was thinking about

where to direct my energy.

Have you ever skipped school in those crazy years?

Of course, yes.

We actually used to do that frequently.

-Uh oh! The teachers...
-We used to keep the permissions for absence in mind,

we had a limit of 20 days.

We skipped school according to it,

or sometimes

we couldn't go due to sickness.

And sometimes we skipped school out of boredom,

to consume that energy somewhere.

We used to play soccer on football fields.

Or we used to rent a boat and sail.

Renting a boat?

Yes. I even have an interesting memory with a boat,

I shall tell it.

We, 5-6 friends,

went to Yesilkoy and rented a boat there.

What kind of a boat? Or a shallop?

Yes, a shallop.

We got in it, 5-6 friends. I was pulling the oar

though I didn't know how to pull those times. I learned later.

When I got tired one of my friends comes to help pulling, we pull together.

You were sailing really far away.

Yes. And the sea seemed still.

Then suddenly,

we realized that the shallop was dragging away without us pulling the oar.

We were being dragged by the current.

-Wow.
-Straight to the islands.

-Uh oh! They say that the Marmara Sea is very dangerous.

We didn't think of it.

You didn't think that would happen.

We were 15-16 years old but

we were blinded by the excitement of skipping school.

-Well, it was just Yesilkoy, not even Bosphorus.
-Yes, not even the Bosphorus.

Of course, it's possible to be dragged by the current in Bosphorus

but seemingly it's possible in Yesilkoy too.

Then we were like "What to do now?". We put the oars in the shallop.

We shouted.

S.O.S., help us, vice versa...

They corded the shallop to a boat and pulled

until we were out of the current area.

-We quickly approached the coast.
-They rescued you fast, you were lucky.

Yes. We were very afraid!

First, there was no one. After 15 minutes, a boat approached.

So we got rescued.

They carried us until we were out of the current zone.

Then we returned to the land. And of course, we never did something like that again.

We read it in the newspapers. People get lost when they go out for fishing.
-Yes, it happens a lot.

I guess a few people got lost in Silivri before.

Yes, yes, it happens.

The current drags you.

I learned that you also are into fishing.

Yes, I love it. It makes me feel relaxed.

I guess you've been fishing since childhood years.

Yes.

I found out that you were playing basketball too.

ı have played basketball for 9 years.

Did you play professionally?

As a licensed player,

I played for 9 years. Professionally.

I have an interesting memory.

I was going to play during summer school time. I also was interested in soccer.

I was 9 years old or so...

In our summer school,

there were different teachers for

each branch of sports

-a basketball, a football and a volleyball teacher.

How did you decide to be a model while playing basketball?

Then I...The basketball... You know, everything is

like happening with a chain reaction.

-Yes.
-Each situation is the cause of the next. So playing basketball made me physically ready for modeling.

Sure, definitely.

So you started playing basketball in elementary school and continued.

No. I started playing when I was in primary school. 5th grade.

4th or 5th grade.

I guess while playing basketball, people were asking you

why didn't you think of becoming a model.

But this thing came to my mind:

Have you ever thought about being a model

so that you can switch to acting?

Did you think about it?

-Actually...
-Because, in my opinion,

as far as I know you, instead of modeling,

acting has precedence over it. It seemed to me that way.

Did you begin with that idea?

I didn't begin with that idea.

But right now

both are...

You asked me something like, "Do you like your mom or dad more?"

I began with modeling and have performed for 2 years.

So you loved modeling?

Yes, I liked it a lot. It's enjoyable.

You pose for photos and

you earn money.

It's a nice job.

But

I didn't have this thought when I participated in the contest:

"I'm working as a model now and earn money

but to earn more or to become more famous I should be an actor."

I mean, I didn't use the contest as a steppingstone.

So they recommended and you tried.
-Yes.

- I participated in and...
-When you were chosen the best model you received offers.

It was a bit about seeing my potential.

I never used "the best model contest" as a steppingstone

to switch to acting, to become known more. This is kismet, destiny.

Thousands of people participated in the contest after all.

And that year, I was chosen.

Yes.

More or less 2,000 people applied for it.

Yes, you're right.

That's what I remember too.

When you were chosen as the best model last year

ou received offers for acting and you focused your attention on it.

There was something strange,

I remember it clearly,

the night when I was chosen the best model

-you know, rain means blessing, abundance-

that night it was raining very heavily outside.

Like, the drops that were falling were splashing water on my face.

So I said, "Hopefully this becomes as abundant as the rain."

Since I was chosen the best model.

I hoped that my success would continue.

I said, "I will put effort for it too."

And 2011 has been very productive for me.

I'm very lucky!

-But you...
-That night I promptly received an offer

Right after I wished for the rain to bring abundance.

12 a.m. at night I announced as the best model.

We went to celebrate it with my friends at 2 a.m.

At around 3 a.m. Erkan Ozerman called me.

He said, "Cagatay, go to MedYapim (the production company) tomorrow."

-So you started working with MedYapim.
-We had an agreement in a very short time.

Then we started filming. My team is amazing.

Everybody is amazing!

I'm so happy that I'm working with them.

Children who were raised by older people,

like by grandparents, are tend to be more mature than their peers.

Did you experience a similar situation?

I guess you were loved a lot

that you are a person who gives and takes love.

Am I right?

Well,

naturally, the more you spend time

with older, more mature people than you are

the more it makes you

mature.

You observe their

behavior, you see their

point of view.

You observe how they behave in different places.

So you start seeing life in much more detail.

Or

the situations in life.

You start analyzing piece by piece

and make a decision according to it.

Your mom and dad must have raised you so well, you're such a nice man.

Even though you're just 21, you are... I don't know.

The new generation is being

brought up like that, I guess.

We have never heard anything about your mom or dad.

Could you tell us a little about them?

My mom and dad...

I'm their first child.

I have a younger sibling.

-How old?
-And I wanted my sibling to be born.

I wanted it so much!

When I was going to school

I used to see the siblings of my friends.

Little children...

One day I asked, "Why don't I have a sibling?"

I was 7-8 years old, going to primary school.

I stood over my parents and said, "I want a sibling!"

I insisted on it. "I want, I want a sibling!"

I had begged.

So later

I had one.

So he's 7-8 years younger than me.

I guess you're getting along really well.

We get along well. Lately,

due to my schedule

-you have been with me for 3-4 days

so you know how busy I am

-Yes.
-It's been like this since the beginning of the year-

we're living far from each other.

Because when there's a long distance between my job and home

the hours I sleep lessen

and I already am very busy.

So I moved in somewhere

with the conditions that help working become easier.

My family lives in Avcilar.

You can't see each other frequently.

Yes. Maybe

1 or two times a week I can go and return home.

I'm free once a week so when we meet

I try to make the best of that day.

When I visit on the days that also have filming

I go and hug them, ask how they are.

Then I'm like, "I'm going to sleep."Then I wake up and go to work again.

I don't really have time to conversate.

Because of me, my sibling

is now curious
-About acting?

Yes, he got interested in it.

He's 14 years old now.

How long have you been playing guitar?

It's been three.

I have been playing since 3 years.

I learned by myself.

I bought a guitar.

I few of my friends was playing it.

Whose songs do you sing?

Or do you compose?

I mostly try to compose.

Do you write poems?

Poem...

I have a poem of 15 pages.

I wish you beautiful days

full of many series and movies.

Thank you so much!