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Cansu Dere (born 14 October 1980, Ankara) is a Turkish actress, model, and television presenter. After placing third in the 2000 Miss Turkey beauty pageant, she began her career in television and fashion, and from the mid-2000s onward took on various roles in cinema and television series. She gained widespread recognition through leading roles in productions such as Sıla (2006–2008), Ezel (2009–2010), Anne (2016–2017), and Sadakatsiz (2020–2022). Throughout her career, she has been active in modeling, presenting, and acting.
Cansu Dere was born on 14 October 1980 in Ankara. Her family is of immigrant origin, having migrated to Türkiye during the population exchange period. It is reported that her maternal lineage comes from Thessaloniki in Greece, while her paternal lineage originates from Bulgaria. Dere’s childhood and early youth were spent in İzmir, where she completed her primary and secondary education, graduating from İzmir Vali Vecdi Gönül High School.
She moved to Istanbul for university education and studied Archaeology at the Faculty of Letters of Istanbul University. Some sources state that she completed her studies, while others indicate that she left her education unfinished due to her focus on modeling and television careers.
Dere’s public recognition began when she placed third in the 2000 Miss Turkey beauty pageant organized by Kanal D. Following this achievement, she launched her modeling career, walking the runway for Turkey’s leading fashion designers in the early 2000s. She worked with designers including Yıldırım Mayruk, Hakan Yıldırım, Arzu Kaprol, Bahar Korçan, Cengiz Abazoğlu, and Ümit Ünal. She also participated in fashion photoshoots for various magazines and collaborated with fashion photographers on their projects.
In 2002 and 2003, she participated in fashion events in Paris, representing Türkiye on the international stage. The visibility she gained during this period enabled her to work across different media, leading her to begin presenting fashion shows and television programs.
In 2000–2001, she began appearing on television screens by hosting children’s programs on Kanal D. In 2003, she became the presenter of the fashion program Lifestyle on NTV, and in 2004 she hosted the talent competition Türkiye’nin Yıldızları on Star TV, which included acting training. This period helped her develop on-screen experience and served as a transition phase toward acting.
Cansu Dere began her acting career in 2003 with the series Alacakaranlık, directed by Uğur Yücel. In 2004 she appeared in Metro Palas, and in 2005 in Güz Yangını. During this time, her characters were mostly supporting roles, but they helped her strengthen her experience in front of the camera.
In 2006, she took the lead role in the TV film Kabuslar Evi: Takip, directed by Çağan Irmak. In the same year, she portrayed the character Sıla in the series Sıla, co-starring with Mehmet Akif Alakurt, reaching a broad audience. The series achieved high viewership ratings during its broadcast and is regarded as Dere’s first major breakthrough in television acting.
In 2007, she shared the lead role with Kenan İmirzalıoğlu in the film Son Osmanlı: Yandım Ali. The film is based on a fictional story set in the final years of the Ottoman Empire. That same year, Dere appeared in several other projects, marking her transition into cinema acting.
In the 2009 series Ezel, she portrayed the character Eyşan Tezcan. The series, noted for its script and cast, became one of the most talked-about productions of its time. The complex and dramatically evolving character of Eyşan marked the beginning of a new phase in Dere’s acting career.
In 2010, she appeared in the film Yahşi Batı and later in the movie Behzat Ç. Seni Kalbime Gömdüm. In 2012, she portrayed the Iranian character Firuze in the third season of the series Muhteşem Yüzyıl. This character was shaped more by fictional elements than historical accuracy. In this production, Dere portrayed a character navigating the power dynamics within the palace.
In 2016–2017, she starred in the television series Anne, playing the role of teacher Zeynep Güneş in an adaptation of the Japanese series “Mother.” In 2018, she portrayed the police officer Nevra Elmas in the digital platform series Şahsiyet. The series, a psychological crime drama, is considered one of the significant examples of digital platform series in Türkiye.
In the series Sadakatsiz (2020–2022), she portrayed the character Asya Arslan. The character she played revolved around themes of extramarital relationships and female identity. Subsequently, she appeared in the productions 1001 Gece Masalları (2024) and Binbir Gece Masalları (2025).
Childhood and Education
Career
Beauty Pageant and Modeling
Television Presenting and Hosting
Transition to Acting
Ezel and Beyond
Filmography
Cinema Films
Television Series
Television Hosting