Serenay Sarikaya

Serenay Sarıkaya is a Turkish actress and model. Sarıkaya made her acting debut with a minor part in the movie Şaşkın (2008). She later rose to prominence by acting in the cinema movie Plajda (2008). At the same year she appeared in the television series Peri masali (2008) directed by Sinan Çetin and was later prepared by him for her first leading role in Lemon Tree (2008). She later appeared at the final episodes of Adanali (2008). At the age 15, she participated in a beauty competition and received a special award from the jury.

Sarıkaya became the first runner-up at Miss Turkey 2010. She came to international attention for her roles inLale Devri (2010–2012) and Medcezir (2013–2015) and received critical acclaim and won numerous accolades, including two Golden Butterfly Awards. In addition to her acting career, Sarıkaya has appeared in many advertising films and is the face of numerous brands. In 2014, she was chosen as the Woman of the Year by GQ Turkey. She continued her movie career with a role in Behzat Ç. Ankara Yanıyor (2013).

Early Life

Serenay Sarıkaya was born on 1 July 1991 in Ankara to Seyhan Umran and Mustafa Sarikaya. She resided with her family in Antalya until the age of 7 when her parents separated. After her father’s remarriage, she moved to Istanbul with her mother. She later described her experience of growing up without her father in an interview: “For a little girl, father is a special factor in her evolution. Growing up without your father is a big experience“. At that time, when they wanted to decide about their living in Antalya or Istanbul, Sarıkaya told her mother that she wanted to become an actress and made her mother move to Istanbul.

Sarıkaya later studied at Antalya Saime Salih Konca High School and although she wanted to continue her studies in university, she hasn’t received any degree yet. During her childhood, Sarıkaya wanted to become a model. She has been an avid player of volleyball and also frequently takes part in basketball. She is also interested in tennis and Latin dance. At the age 15, Sarıkaya participated in the European Junior Beauty Contest held in the Czech Republic and received a special prize from the jury.