Sunal, Kemal

▪ 2001

      Turkish actor (b. Nov. 11, 1944, Istanbul, Turkey—d. July 3, 2000, Istanbul), delighted audiences on television and in more than 80 Turkish motion pictures, particularly in a long-running series of homey situation comedies; his enormous popularity was evident when the name of one of his most lovable film personae, Saban the Cow, entered the Turkish slang vocabulary to signify a well-meaning fool. His last film, Propaganda (1999), however, was perceived as a shift to somewhat more serious themes. Sunal, who had a lifelong fear of flying, suffered a heart attack after being persuaded to board an airplane in Istanbul; his funeral, which drew thousands of mourners, was broadcast live on Turkish television.

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