Barış Falay is a Turkish actor in theater, cinema, and television. He was born on April 9, 1972, in the Edremit district of Balıkesir. He graduated from the Theater Department of the Faculty of Language, History and Geography at Ankara University. After many years performing on theater stages, he took on various roles in television and cinema, appearing in series such as “Ezel,” “Aliye,” and “Medcezir.”

Life and Education

Barış Falay was born into a family of civil servants. His family origins trace back to Bosnia, Crete, and Central Asia. Due to his father’s public service assignments, he spent his childhood in various cities across Türkiye. He completed his primary, secondary, and high school education in Ankara. His studies at the Theater Department of Ankara University’s Faculty of Language, History and Geography led him to pursue an acting career. During his university years, he engaged in various jobs, including experience as a waiter and in business management.

Theater Career

Falay worked for two years at the Ankara State Theatre. In 1997, he passed the audition for the newly established Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality City Theatres and served as an artist there for 17 years. During this period, he performed in numerous plays including “Hamlet,” “The Threepenny Opera,” “Roberto Zucco,” “Yaşar Ne Yaşar Ne Yaşamaz,” “Barış,” and “Kırmızı Yorgunları.” He also directed the plays “Deniz Kızı Masalı” and “Bir Yaz Gecesi Rüyası,” and taught at the theater’s affiliated school. In 2015, he left the institution under circumstances he described as forced resignation.

Television and Cinema Career

Falay began his television career in 1995 with the series “Çiçek Taksi,” and appeared in various roles in series such as “Tatlı Hayat,” “Yarım Elma,” and “Dadı.” He portrayed the character Mücahit in the series “Aliye,” which aired between 2004 and 2006. One of his most well-known roles was Ali Kırgız (Kerpeten Ali) in the series “Ezel,” which aired from 2009 to 2011. This performance brought him widespread recognition and earned him awards.

He played the character Selim Serez in the series “Medcezir” from 2013 to 2015, and Harun Erguvan in “Paramparça” from 2014 to 2016. He returned to screens between 2023 and 2024 as Reşat in the series “Ömer.” In 2025, he took on the role of Koray in the series “Kardelenler,” which began airing on ATV.

In cinema, he has appeared in films such as “Ya Sonra?,” “Sen Ben Lenin,” “İyi Adamın 10 Günü,” “Kirpi,” and “Arif V 216.”

Personal Life

Barış Falay married actress Esra Ronabar in 2006. The couple has a son named Rüzgar Mavi, born in 2009.

Some Theater Plays He Has Appeared In

• Hamlet
• Üç Kuruşluk Opera
• Roberto Zucco
• Yaşar Ne Yaşar Ne Yaşamaz
• Kırmızı Yorgunları
• Barış
• Karar Kimin
• Bahar Noktası
• Kafesten Bir Kuş Uçtu
• Karanlıkta Komedi
• Rasat Zamanı
• Mahmud ile Yezida
• Asalet Kumkuması

Television Series

• Çiçek Taksi (1995)
• Tatlı Hayat (2002)
• Yarım Elma (2002)
• Dadı (2002)
• Kuzenlerim (2002–2005)
• Aliye (2004–2006)
• Ezel (2009–2011)
• Al Yazmalım (2011–2012)
• Medcezir (2013–2015)
• Paramparça (2015–2017)
• Menajerimi Ara (2020–2021)
• Ömer (2023–2024)
• Kardelenler (2025–)

Films

• Şeytanın Pabucu (2008)
• Kirpi (2009)
• Ya Sonra? (2011)
• Mutlu Aile Defteri (2013)
• Kardeşim Benim 2 (2017)
• Arif V 216 (2018)
• Sen Ben Lenin (2021)
• İyi Adamın 10 Günü (2023)

Awards

• Magazin Gazetecileri Derneği – Best Male Actor (“Ezel”)
• Altın Aslan Meslek Başarı Ödülleri (2012) – Most Successful Male Drama Actor
• Direklerarası Seyirci Ödülleri (2012) – Best Male Actor (“Kafesten Bir Kuş Uçtu”)
• Ayaklı Gazete TV Yıldızları Ödülleri (2014) – Best Supporting Male TV Actor (Drama, “Medcezir”)
• Kocaeli Film Festivali (2023) – Male Actor of the Year for Feature Film