Merve Dizdar

Merve Dizdar (born 25 June 1986) is a Turkish actress. She is best known for her roles in War of the Eltis (2020), The Innocents (2020–2022), The Life and Movies of Erşan Kuneri (2022–present), and Snow and the Bear (2022). In 2020, she won the Golden Butterfly Award for Best Actress for her role in The Innocents. Dizdar became the first Turkish actress to win the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress for her performance in About Dry Grasses (2023).

Early life and career
Dizdar was born on 25 June 1986 in İzmir. She is a graduate of Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University School of Fine Arts with a degree in acting. She received her master's degree in acting from Kadir Has University.

She started her career on stage by joining Semaver Company and continued it at Craft Theatre. Dizdar made her cinematic debut with Bir Ses Böler Geceyi (2011) alongside Cem Davran and pursued a career in television with recurring roles in the series Kavak Yelleri, Geniş Aile, Bir Yastıkta, Doksanlar, Çılgın Dershane Üniversite, and was first noted with her role in Beş Kardeş. She also worked for TRT Children, presenting the programs Arkadaşım Bıdı and 23 Nisan Şenliğe Doğru.

Dizdar won the Afife Jale Theatre Best Actress Award for her role in the play Yutmak. She then joined the cast of hit series 7 Yüz, Vatanım Sensin, and Mucize Doktor respectively. In 2020, she had a leading role with Uraz Kaygılaroğlu in the Gupse Özay's comedy film Eltilerin Savaşı, which as of April 2021 is the 22nd most-watched movie of all time in Turkey according to Box Office Türkiye. She shared the leading role with Serenay Sarıkaya, Ezgi Mola, Enis Arıkan, Şükrü Özyıldız in a musical adaptation of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

In 2020, she began appearing in the series Masumlar Apartmanı and won the Golden Butterfly Awards Best Actress award. She played an actress and her many roles in the Netflix spinoff comedy series Erşan Kuneri. In 2023, she starred in Nuri Bilge Ceylan's Kuru Otlar Üstüne, becoming the first Turkish actress to win at the 76th Cannes Film Festival with the Best Actress award for her portrayal of a teacher.

During her acceptance speech, Dizdar dedicated her award to Turkish women. She stated "all my sisters" who actively engage in strengthening the women 's rights movement, displaying resilience and unwavering hope despite the challenges they face''. Ibrahim Uslu, the deputy chairman of the Radio and Television Supreme Council, accused Dizdar of undermining Turkey. The incident sparked reactions and debates within the country.

Awards and nominations

 * 22nd Sadri Alışık Theatre and Cinema Awards - "Most Successful Actress of the Year" - Yutmak - Craft Theatre - 2017 (nom)
 * 21st Afife Theatre Awards - "Most Successful Actress of the Year" - Yutmak - Craft Theatre - 2017