Kivanç Tatlitug Interview

Interview of Kivo in 2008. Love it really and i hope you all will love it and him too :)

After he left Syria where he presented a concert by Egyptian singer Amr Diab, Kivanç went back to Turkey where he was interviewed by Ayse Arman. The interview covered a variety of personal and professional issues, and addressed Kivanç's phenomenal popularity in the Arab world.

So beautiful that you can’t get enough to look. Sometimes a little boy, sometimes a passionate lover.

This is his image. You can’t take your eyes away when you see his blonde eyebrows, the form of lips, big blue-green eyes, muscular arms and upper body. A very nice man. Very very nice. And only 29 years old. What kind of eyes I must have, I had five years ago my first interview with him, he was 20 years old, just think. And from where I know this man with blond eyebrows who is so beautiful that you want to pack him in your pocket and take with you? His family was the owner of the sweet shop (Mavi Köşe) in Adana which was in front of our house. So I know him with his short pants! What kind of mothers there are, what kind of children they get! Actually he wants to become basketball player but that’s life, he becomes at first model later actor. In these days he is the Brad Pitt of Middle East. Arab women are crazy for him. Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ is their sexy Mohanad. Gümüş is shown in the Arab world with the name Nour. Kıvanç’s name is Mohanad. Blond Mohanad here blond Mohanad there…

There are many famous men in our country who think “there is no woman I can’t get!” while Kivanc Tatlitug don’t like it that we mention a little bit to much how sexy, how attractive, how handsome he is. He can say “My packaging is good; I have nothing to do with it”. He is very modest. Usually handsome. He doesn’t look from above; he should be estimated…he is like Lokum (Turkish delight). His shortcoming is: He is too down to earth. I know you will say “since when is that a mistake?” But it is so. He still studies acting on the culture university...

* I see it with my own eyes in Dubai, the only thing the women have not done was to break you in pieces! Why are Arab women so addicted to you?

What can I say, I thought the media exaggerate, but when I was there they fall on me. The media had not exaggerated, it was real. Yes I feel happy, yes I feel proud but my real feeling was shock! I stopped; I couldn’t move my hands, arms…

* Did they invite you?

Yes. My phone rang; a voice said “I want to invite you to Dubai. You have so many fans you can’t believe it!”. Someone who speak English with Arabic accent. I thought someone is kidding me and I say with a sarcastic voice” Yaaah really? Are you sure you call the right person?” The person: „of course Mister Kivanc”, “Your name here is Mohanad, here are thousands of women who die to marry you. Come quickly.” The call was from the channel mbc. “Gümüs” was broadcasted 3 years ago here, now they broadcast it as “Nour” in Arab countries and it breaks records. The character I played was Mehmet, they give him the name Mohanad. The women are in love with Mohanad. I went…

* What do you feel when you see so many women?

Not only women there were male fans, too! It was a strange feeling. I thought a couple of hours signing autographs and that's it. But what’s that! People eat each other. A lot of interesting people, old, young, children. Gümüs is important for me but it is a work that I have behind me, it was three years ago, a closed site, therefore I like it more. And you plan your career in Turkey; later people in Middle East get crazy for you, strange of course. Actually they get crazy for Mohanad not for me. I think they have an emotional connection with him.

* Are there differences between being a famous actor in Turkey and there?

I am also famous here, in my own way; I am someone who tries to do his job good. Here people come, want an autograph and say “Oh you really Kivanc” wave my hand and go. But it was different there, it was a crowd, they abducted me in a room. I wait until people calm down. But I say they don’t know Kivanc Tatlitug, only Mohanad, they like him, not me. This character is faithful to his wife, he listens to his mother and father, he has taboos, and they feel close to him. And of course he is blond, Muslim and his name is Mohanad…

* Haaaaa you don’t take this whole thing for your own…

Yes. I see it as if it would happen to someone else. Actually it’s a dream for men to be desired, to be loved … We have to distinguish. I don’t like to show my private life on TV. I am an actor. I work; I go through a box in the intimate of people, people who see me think they know me, but it’s not so. Arab women also don’t know me, how old I am, from what kind of family I come, how many sisters and brother I have, what I do, what I eat and drink they don’t know. They don’t need to know it. They are not interested in me but in the character I play. And of course the cultural is close to them but blond, colored eyes…

* In Egypt they gave a fatwa “This series are dangerous, families shouldn’t see”…

I do my job, they give me a character, I try do play him with my body and head. That’s it for me. People mix up films with real life. Mohanad is also a surreal character.

* When do you noticed that you have a different attraction?

Everyone likes himself. But I never say “wow how great I am. My eyes are so and my eyebrows so!” I am not so. God has given me such a body. Your packaging is good. Yes but I have nothing do to with it. That’s a gift. And what is packaging? I try to let speak my talents. Not beauty, but talent is valuable. I work for that. I am 25 years old I learn everyday more.

 * Do you have advantages in Europe with your blondness?


How?

* Do you get attention like in Arab countries?

No. I am someone there. I am famous in Turkey and Middle East.

* Make your friends jokes with you “There was just Middle East, now you’re also there a beauty”

Noooo

*How cool are you, is it so easy to be the Brad Pitt of Middle East?

No but what can I say? Should I be arrogant? It was something I hadn’t expected. I can’t walk now trough the streets of Dubai. Pity that I don’t stay longer in Dubai before this show was broadcasted. More Arab tourists come now to our country because of mbc series. But I don’t want to become a high flyer.

* Your first love…

I was 13-14 years old. We were in Mersin in our summer house. Basketball was my passion. I was dreaming to become basketball player. However, I go with friends to play. Aaa! There is a girl who plays with the boys. Long legs, short shorts. A quiet girl. I feel in love.

 * Was she very beautiful?

Noo! Of course she was beautiful but there were more beautiful girls, but she played very good basketball. We flirt with playing. We were at the same age. We sat on a bench and watch together the stars.

* How far do you go with her?

We don’t. I just hold her hand. Even that was something very big.

* What do you think when we say women?

My mother. My mother is the women.

* Is Azra Akin not offended?

No. Their places are different. My mother is very important for me and I am to her.

* And what do you think when we say sexy women?

Without make up, natural, who know that she is beautiful but don’t scream “I am beautiful”, who don’t show everything she knows, who don’t open lights with her clothes and behaviour to show “Here I am.”

* There are women who would die to be together with you. You could be a playboy. But your not such a person. Your 25 years old and since 6 years with the same woman together. Is it not strange?

No. I am a straight guy. I don’t want to say that… No I am not insulted. I prefer to have one woman. To go out jump from one branch to another. That’s not my problem. There is nothing that I have to proof.

* Some men don’t like it that they girlfriend wears top and mini skirts. Are you such a man?

No, I am not jealous. It’s nice to be jealous but without exaggerating, otherwise it’s bad for your relationship.

* You say always things which are down to earth…

Yes. I am proper and very usual.

* If we say you goes with some men to a bar. You know you can get all women from 15 to 55 there. What kind of power is that?

Right that gives people power. But what is to be impressed at the first sight? There are many women; you don’t know what to do to get away after the first three seconds. I am someone who looks deeper. I am searching something there. No complex, natural personalities. I am famous but I have no friends from this world, I am still in contact with my old friends.

* What do you hate in the world of famous people?

My philosophy is " If you work on something, go on the same way, don’t jump to another side”. When you do that people speak about other things but not about your work. The guy is actor but people speak the whole time about his private life, I don’t like that. That is the only reason why I don’t like to be seen at nightlife. I don’t like it.

 * Where do you have fun? Don’t you like it to drink alcohol and to dance?

I like it of course. But we know where the people of magazines are waiting. When you go to these places you want to be in the news. I don’t want that. I like modest places and to spend time without press there. There are many places in Beyoglu.

* You don’t go to Türkbükü during summer…

 No, I prefer mountains.

 * Do you live together with Azra?

No. She lives in the European site, I live in the Asian site but we see each other every day. When the time comes we will live together.

* How often do you speak with her?

One or two times in a day. Mostly about our works.

* What do you do with your money?

 I invest. My father deals but we decide together.

* A work together?
I think. Perhaps something with food. A café perhaps a sweet shop something trendy. It’s in my mind. You know our family job. It would be a nice work for my mother and father. My father is 65 years old my mother 55.

* Do you use anti depressants?

No. I play playstation or basketball when I am angry. My anti depressants are sports.

 OMG ! I dont know how any human can be so humble and really down to the Earth.
 We all know that money and fame, to some extent, change people. Even if they deny it, it's not possible for an icon to say that they still live as though nothing have changed. They have to ''measure up'' to the lifestyle of the rich and famous. But, the one thing that can remain unchanged, is their ''psychological'' side. We can see celebrities going out and about their block not caring about being famous or rich, they would talk to fans, eat their breakfast in a right-down-the-corner restaurant. It's exactly the kind of person Kivanc seems to be. As I was reading the interview, I even had the impression that he's too humble for a mega star like himself. It seems to me that he has all the qualities a girl searches for in a guy. But one thing that seemed a bit weird, or, more like surprising, is that Kivanc thinks that ALL of his fans don't care about who he is. He thinks that they're only attracted by the --somehow-- idealistic figure the MBC created in the audience's minds. He thinks that they don't know anything about him, as THE Kivanç Tatlituğ. But some of us do! At least I know I do!!  I can spend the whole day talking about how amazed I am at how humble and incredible person Kivanc is, I can't help it.