Cemo Çetin, Actor & Producer
Coming from a family of actors, directors, and producers, did you always know you wanted to be in the movie industry?
I never considered anything else as an option. I grew up watching films, being on film sets and acting in films/commercials. Our house was right next to the company so Turkish, and occasionally Hollywood stars were constantly coming in and out of our house. There was always so much going on and I just knew that I wanted to be a part of this exciting world of show business. I carried around a little video camera for most of my child hood and filmed every moment of our lives. At one point my mom was worried about me since I was always experiencing life through a lens. Now I have tons of footage where I can revisit my childhood anytime I wish. Me and my friends used to make little James Bond films, dress up in costumes, blow shit up, play the villain characters and all that… Later on we started making skate videos and got really into skateboarding… This was before iPhones, when shooting footage was still something special.
What is it about acting that attracts you the most?
More so than the craft of acting, I am fascinated by the idea of creating a fantasy world. Real life just isn’t as interesting as movies are… There was a movie I grew up watching, Last Action Hero, the kid in the film is given a golden ticket where he can magically enter any film he chooses when he goes to the cinema… That’s my ultimate dream!
You lived in New York for a while until you moved back to Istanbul recently. How do you think New York influenced your creative spirit in terms of where you are in life right now?
New York is everything to me. It’s hard to explain the influence it has on you. One goes through so many different stages while living there. It’s the mecca of culture. From fashion to cinema to music to art… The best films are usually set in New York. The cliche is true, it’s a city that never sleeps, if you’re bored in New York, it’s your own fault because there is always something exciting to do. It’s a wild place where anything can happen at any moment. It exposed me to the best of the best of everything, so I guess I have a high standard in taste.
3 things New York has in common with Istanbul?
The chaos of the city, the upbeat nightlife, the good food.
You start shooting a movie next month which you produce and also star in. What can you tell us about this project?
A couple films I can compare it to are Bonnie & Clyde, Natural Born Killers, Wild at Heart – David Lynch, and True Romance. It’s a thriller / romance road trip film. A convertible blue Mustang and three best friends driving through the lonely highways of Cappadocia being chased by the police. You’ll have to watch it to find out the rest!
If your life right now was a movie of your production, what would the soundtrack be?
Hard question… I’d say Jazz/Blues & Hip Hop.
Who is your favorite book character?
Maybe Tyler Gordon from Fight Club and Howard Roark from Fountainhead.