Yıldız Kenter

• Name — Yıldız Kenter • Birth Name — Ayşe Yıldız Kenter • Born — 11 October 1928 • Birthplace — Istanbul, Turkey • Died — 17 November 2019 • Place of death — Istanbul, Turkey • Resting Place — Aşiyan Asri Cemetery • Relatives — Müşfik Kenter (brother) Ali Mahmut Kenter Selma Kenter • Children — 1 • Education — Ankara State Conservatory • Occupation — Actress • Years Active — 1949–2019

Ayşe Yıldız Kenter was born to diplomat Ahmet Naci Kenter and his wife Nadide, née Olga Cynthia, in Istanbul on 11 October 1928. Her mother was naturalized after her marriage to Ahmet Naci and moved to Turkey, changing her given name to Nadide. Kenter's paternal grandfather was Mehmet Galip Bey.

Kenter graduated from Ankara State Conservatory. She worked for eleven years at the Ankara State Theatre. She obtained a fellowship from the Rockefeller Foundation, and went to the United States, where she attended American Theatre Wing, Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre and Actors Studio to study advanced drama education. After returning home, she was appointed instructor at the Ankara State Conservatory. On 1959, she resigned from her post at the State Theatre. After working one year with Muhsin Ertuğrul, she co-founded the "Kent Theatre Company" with her brother Müşfik Kenter and husband Şükran Güngör. In later years, she conducted studies on "Changing Education Methods" and "Acting Methods" in the U.S. and United Kingdom. The construction of the Kenter Theatre building in Istanbul was completed in 1968. She played in English and Turkish language in the Soviet Union, United States, United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Canada, Yugoslavia and Cyprus. She staged and played more than hundred works of foreign playwrights such as Shakespeare, Chekhov, Brecht, Ionesco, Pinter, Albee, Tennessee Williams, Alan Ayckbourn, Arthur Miller, Brian Friel, Neil Simon, Athol Fugard, Sergei Kokovkin and also of Turkish dramatists like Melih Cevdet Anday, Necati Cumalı, Güner Sümer, Adalet Ağaoğlu, Zeki Özturanlı, Güngör Dilmen, Muzaffer İzgü. She served 37 years as a professor of stage acting.

In 1951, Yıldız Kenter married Nihat Akçan, the brother of singer Nesrin Sipahi. A year later, she gave birth to a daughter. This marriage lasted seven years. Her second marriage in 1965 was to Şükran Güngör who died in 2002. Yıldız Kenter died at the age of 91 on 17 November 2019 in intensive care, at a private hospital in Istanbul. She was interred at the Aşiyan Asri Cemetery following a memorial ceremony held at the Kenter Theatre and the religious funeral service at Afet Yolal Mosque in Levent. She is survived by her two daughters.

• Television • Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1987-1991 — Uğurlugiller — Nebahat Uğurlugil — Leading Role • 1993-1996 — Yaz Evi — Selma • 2002 — Aşk ve Gurur — Süreyya Hanım • 2004 — Pako'ya Mektuplar — Guest • 2005 — Saklambaç — Meliha Hanım — Supporting Role • 2007 — Kısmetim Otel — Nebile Kısmetim — Leading Role • Cinema • Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1951 — Vatan İçin — Büyükanne — Supporting Role • 1964 — Ağaçlar Ayakta Ölür — Leading Role • 1966 — İsyancılar • Pembe Kadın — Pembe • 1967 — Yaşlı Gözler — Ümran • 1971 — Anneler ve Kızları — Fatma • Elmacı Kadın — Fatma/Gündoğdu Bacı • 1972 — Fatma Bacı — Fatma Bacı • 1973 — Ablam • 1974 — Bir Ana Bir Kız — Zeynep • Kartal Yuvası — Makbule • Kızım Ayşe — Huriye Bacı • 1983 — Zulüm — Ayşe • 1989 — Hanım — Olcay Hanım • 2000 — Güle Güle — Zarife • 2001 — Büyük Adam Küçük Aşk — Müzeyyen Hanım • 2005 — Sen Ne Dilersen — Dadı Mimi • 2007 — Beyaz Melek — Melek