Who is Cemal Hünal? Full Name: Cemal Hünal Date of Birth: October 2, 1976 Place of Birth: Maçka, Teşvikiye, Istanbul Height: 1.79 m Profession: Actor, Screenwriter, Businessman, Horse Trainer Active Years: 2007 – Present Education: Saint Benoit French High School, Gordonstoun International Summer School (Scotland), UCLA Extension, Santa Monica College, London Film School Mother: Vicki Hünal Father: Atilla Hünal He has a sibling ?: He has a brother named Kerem Hünal.
Originally From: Istanbul (The actor, who belongs to a long-established family, is originally from Istanbul.) Social Media: He actively uses Instagram (@cemalhunalofficial); He shares his set states about nature, horses, sword making (hot blacksmithing) and his projects. Family and Childhood Years Cemal Hünal, one of the most charismatic names of Turkish cinema and television, was born on October 2, 1976 in Teşvikiye, one of the most socio-culturally established districts of Istanbul.
The son of former industrialists Atilla Hünal and Vicki Hünal, the artist spent his childhood in the “Cemal Hünal Apartment”, built by his grandfather and bearing the family’s surname. He grew up with his father’s extensive history and medieval library at home, and also gained his passion for nature and adventure at an early age by keeping exotic animals from python snakes to iguanas in their home. Career Beginning and Development Cemal Hünal, who started his education at Saint Benoit French High School, was then sent to the disciplined Gordonstoun International Summer School in Scotland.
In the following years, he went to London and Los Angeles for theater and cinema training. While he was studying at university, he worked as a copywriter and ran an animation company with his brother. One of the most interesting answers to the question “Who is Cemal Hünal?” is his story of entering the industry: When he was 17, he started working as a “tea seller” on a commercial set in England, and on this set he met world-famous actors Sean Connery and Ralph Fiennes.
After returning to Turkey, he was discovered while working as a “horse stuntman” in Çağan Irmak’s movie “Ulak” and his real career rise began. Achievements and Milestones The production that made Hünal a phenomenon known throughout Turkey is the 2008 movie “Issız Adam” directed by Çağan Irmak. The character “Alper” in this movie was so successful that for years he was referred to by the audience as “Issız Adam” rather than his name.
Another big turning point was the character of Byzantine Commander “Tekfur Ares (Ahmet Alp)”, which he played in the TV series “Diriliş: Ertuğrul”. Thanks to the Spartan education he received in Scotland, his master horsemanship and his skills in equestrian martial arts (sword, archery), he has become indispensable for action and period projects. In addition, he once again proved his physical endurance by participating in the challenging “Survivor” competition in 2021.
Acting Style and Influences Cemal Hünal has a style that blends American method acting with practical industry experiences. He likes to give soul to the character by interacting with the director and his partner on the set. He is often known for his success in portraying “desolate”, “distant”, “dark” or “brutal” figures. Thanks to his tone of voice, cold-blooded facial expressions and athleticism, he leaves a great impression on the audience, especially in his roles as a mafia boss, historical warrior or a dysfunctional metropolitan man with psychological depth.
Recent Projects Cemal Hünal, who has been producing non-stop in recent years, starred in the movie “Senden Kalan”, in which he shared the leading role with İlayda Çevik, in 2025. In today’s 2026, he joined the cast of NOW TV’s storming rating record series Underground in the 11th episode. In the series, he left his mark on the screens by playing the character of “Eagle”, the ruthless and cold-blooded European cartel leader who came to take over the Istanbul underworld.
TV Series Cemal Hünal TV series that users follow closely are chronologically as follows: 2007-2009 – Asi – Kerim 2009 – Winter Masalı – Ali Murat 2011 – Leyla ile Mecnun – Kalyoncu (Guest Actor) 2012 – Once Upon a Time Ottoman Kıyam – Murat 2013 – Ottoman Tokadı – Moğol 2013 – Tatar Ramazan – Rüstem 2014-2017 – Shattered – Alper 2017-2018 – Diriliş: Ertuğrul – Tekfur Ares / Ahmet Alp 2021 – Tozkoparan İskender – (Guest Actor) 2021 – Camdaki Kız – Emir 2023-2024 – Unlimited Sevda – Yılmaz 2026 – Yeraltı – Kartal Last TV Series Project 2026 – Underground – (Eagle character.
He plays the ruthless and cold-blooded leader sent by the European cartel to take over Istanbul.) Internet Projects 2023 – Bozkır – (BluTV / Detective) 2024 – Esas Oğlan – (Digital Platform / Romantic Comedy) 2025-2026 – A Ticket to My Mind – (Anthology/Psychology) Movies 2007 – Ulak – Ulak İbrahim 2008 – Issız Adam – Alper 2010 – Romantic Comedy – Mert 2011 – They Wrote You for Me – Yalçın 2013 – Romantic Comedy 2: Bachelorette – Mert 2014 – Those in the Shadows – (Drama/Fantasy) 2015 – Kırmızı – Umut 2017 – Unique – Leading Role 2017 – Signals: The Last Supper – Commissioner 2017 – Atçalı Kel Mehmet – Yusuf Efe 2018 – My Daughter and Me – Climax 2019 – Death of the Corpse – (Horror) 2020 – The Turks Are Coming: The Sword of Justice – Milosevic 2022 – Capricorn – Ali 2023 – The Last Supper – The British Commander 2024 – Tell Me About Me – (Comedy) 2024 – Spoiled – (Romantic Comedy) 2025 – What Remains from You – (Manager Dear) 2025 – Gülizar Yol Ayrımı – (Drama) 2026 – Cyprus Folk Song – (Drama/History) 2026 – Actor – (Meta-Cinema/Leading Role) Theater Plays 2025-2026 – Nazım Hikmet – (He performs with master actors Orhan Aydın and Metin Coşkun.) Critic and Fan Comments Cemal Hünal draws throughout his career.
He has constantly received appreciation for his images. Especially his performance of “Eagle” in the TV series Yeraltı, in which he participated in 2026, made a big impact on social media. The audience watched his cold war with Uraz Kaygılaroğlu (Bozo) and Burak Sevinç (Merdan) in the nightclub with great excitement, and his mastery in playing the charismatic villain received full marks from critics. Private Life and His Place in the Media The actor’s private life is also under the spotlight, as is the question of how old Cemal Hünal is.
He made his first marriage in 1998 in the USA and divorced in 2004. His second marriage was with violinist and designer Lale Cangal in 2011. From this marriage, the couple has a son named Doğan Atilla, born in 2014, who likes to collect model cars. Cemal Hünal and Lale Cangal divorced by agreement in October 2024 after 13 years of marriage. The artist, who lived semi-nomadic in the forests on his own horse farm for many years, has been living in İstinye, Istanbul, in recent years due to his son’s school status and his work in the city.
He is also the owner of restaurants named “Zazie” in Nişantaşı and “Port Sedef” on Sedef Island. Future Projects Hünal, who is a strong writer as well as his acting talent, has been writing scripts since the age of 15. His biggest goal in the future is to sit in the director’s chair of his own stories about roads, cities and tension, which he has been working on meticulously. At the same time, he will continue to upset the balance on the screens for a long time with his role as Kartal in the TV series Yeraltı.
Frequently Asked Questions About Who is Cemal Hünal? He is a master actor who went down in Turkish cinema history with the movie Issız Adam, and is also interested in archery, horse riding and hot blacksmithing (sword making). How old is Cemal Hünal? The actor, who was born on October 2, 1976, is 50 years old as of 2026. Where is Cemal Hünal originally from? The famous artist, whose family is from Istanbul, is originally from Istanbul and was born in Nişantaşı (Teşvikiye).
Is Cemal Hünal married, who is his wife? The actor divorced Lale Cangal, whom he married in 2011, by agreement in October 2024. He is currently single. Does Cemal Hünal have any children? Yes, he has a son named Doğan Atilla (b. 2014) from his marriage with Lale Cangal. Who is Kartal from the Underground TV series? Kartal in NOW TV’s popular series Yeraltı; He is the ruthless and cold-blooded mafia leader sent by the European cartel to take over the Istanbul market.
The character is played by Cemal Hünal. In which TV series did Cemal Hünal act? Asi, Paramparça, Diriliş: Ertuğrul, Tatar Ramazan, Leyla ile Mecnun, Hudutsuz Sevda and Yeraltı are the most well-known TV series. Did Cemal Hünal participate in Survivor? Yes, he took part in the Survivor Celebrities squad in 2021, but had to say goodbye to the competition due to his health problems. Where does Cemal Hünal live? After living in forests and mountains for years, he settled in the İstinye district of Istanbul to be close to his son Doğan’s school.
Does Cemal Hünal have a restaurant? Hünal, who also worked as a dishwasher and cook in kitchens in his youth, has gastronomy businesses called “Zazie” in Nişantaşı, Istanbul and “Port Sedef” on Sedef Island.
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