Sadri Alışık's 96th Birthday

Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Istanbul, Turkey-based guest artist Sedat Girgin, celebrates the 96th birthday of prolific Turkish comedian and actor Sadri Alışık. 

Born in Istanbul on this day 1925, Mehmet Sadrettin “Sadri” Alışık fell in love with the performing arts at 7 years old after attending a local play. To hide his dramatic ambitions from his father, who disapproved of acting as a career, Alışık enrolled in a university painting program post-high school to disguise the time he spent acting in various Istanbul theatres. 

Alışık’s clandestine devotion soon paid off, debuting on the silver screen in the 1944 film “Günahsizlar” (“The Innocent Ones”). His film success led to decades of serious performances in historical and crime dramas before he showcased his dynamic acting skills in comedy. In 1963, he brought Tourist Ömer to life. A comedic and relatable portrayal of an everyday Turkish gentleman, Tourist Ömer was a smash hit that starred in eight movies, an iconic run that came to a sci-fi end in 1974 with “Ömer the Tourist in Star Trek.” 

Outside of his more than 200 film and television appearances, Alışık loved to paint, sing Turkish classical music, and write poetry. He bid farewell to entertainment with his role in “Yengeç Sepeti” (“Crab Basket”), his 1994 cinematic swan song for which the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival awarded him Best Actor. Today, his legacy lives on in acting studios founded in Istanbul and Ankara, both named in his honor.  

Happy birthday, Sadri Alışık! Thank you for setting the stage for the future of Turkish performing arts.

Guest Artist Q&A with Sedat Girgin

Today’s Doodle was illustrated by Istanbul, Turkey-based guest artist Sedat Girgin. Below, he shares his thoughts behind the making of this Doodle:

Q. Why was this topic meaningful to you personally?

A. Sadri Alışık is a movie star I loved very much as a child. I watched many of his films lying on the carpet in front of the TV. It never would have occurred to me that years later I would be taking part in a project like this. I’m very proud to draw his Doodle.

Q. What were your first thoughts when you were approached about working on this Doodle?

A. I was excited about the idea of ​​reaching a lot of people with my art.

Q. Did you draw inspiration from anything in particular for this Doodle? 

A. I was inspired by Sadri Alışık's melancholic movies, facial expressions, and acting.

Early sketches of the Doodle below