MALLENGJYESE/ The Minister gratefully presents the Order of Aunt Olga to the Tall One

 Kliko këtu për të tjera
Voxpress:

"My grandparents spoke Albanian", famous actor Can Yaman: I am of Albanian origin, for the role of Sandokan I lost 10 kg

2025-12-01 22:52:22Lifestyle SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Can Yaman in the role of Sandokan

His story has something of a fairy tale, writes Corriere della Sera. Can Yaman was still a young lawyer when he was spotted at the wedding of an actor friend, held in Moscow a few years ago.

They offered him a small role on television and the adventure would have ended there, if it weren't for the fact that this consultant at Price Waterhouse Coopers in Istanbul, a law graduate and exemplary student, felt unhappy spending his days in front of the computer.

At the age of 24, he decided the turn that would lead him to Sandokan, the series where he is now the protagonist, writes the prestigious Italian newspaper.

Full article:

He began his career in Turkish series that aired on Canale 5 in 2019–2020 (Bittersweet, Day Dreamer). Some say his appearance is reminiscent of Kabir Bedi, the Indian actor from the famous saga based on the work of Emilio Salgari, broadcast in 1976. Crowds of fans, however, compare him more to the pirate of the Caribbean, Johnny Depp.

Fifty years after the first colossus, Can is pronounced "Jan", as in French he is called to interpret the Malaysian Tiger in eight episodes produced by Lux Vide (Fremantle group) and Rai Fiction, directed by Jan Michelini and Nicola Abbatangelo.

It's an international production, with an equally wide-ranging cast: Alessandro Preziosi as Yanez De Gomera, Alanah Bloor as the Pearl of Labuan, while John Hannah and Ed Westwick play Sergeant Murray and Lord Brooke.

The events take place in Borneo, in 1841, between peoples fighting for freedom and oppressive colonial powers. “This series reveals the past of Sandokan, a pirate with a Robin Hood-like heart and a strong spirituality. He is a warrior who smiles,” says Yaman.

"I had time to prepare because filming was postponed due to the pandemic."

"My grandparents spoke Albanian", famous actor Can Yaman: I am of

With a slightly open shirt and a seductive look, the 36-year-old actor becomes extremely serious when talking about his profession and refuses to be evaluated only for his sex appeal. Since moving to Italy in 2021, his popularity has increased significantly. Due to the large number of admirers, he appeared in public with a partner (Sara Bluma, a DJ of Algerian origin) just a few months ago.

Had he read the Sandokan saga?

“It is not well known in Turkey. I started reading Salgar in 2021 for Sandokan. I was impatient to get on set, but the wait helped me prepare: I lost ten kilos, learned horse riding, studied the script in English (in the Italian version dubbed by Adriano Giannini).”

Meanwhile, you have fully acclimated to Italy.

"I have worked on other series that have helped me grow professionally (Viola come il mare, Il Turco). The Sandokan project gave me anxiety. At first I was afraid of the action scenes, but I had to focus especially on the emotional development. It taught me to maintain positivity even in difficult moments. I also discovered a strategy: to think only about the present."

You already spoke Italian. Why did you choose an Italian high school when you were a teenager?

“My mother was very committed to my education. She wanted me to attend the best schools and grow up as a citizen of the world. Until the age of 14, I studied in an English-speaking school, and to learn another language I chose the Italian lyceum, one of the most elite. They only selected 80 students; we studied some subjects in Italian, others, like history, in Turkish.”

Is it true that you also speak German, French and Spanish?

"I have the school basics, but I haven't practiced them. While I'm learning Spanish right now for a series I'm going to shoot in Madrid, I can't reveal more. I'm very disciplined, that's how we're used to in Turkey: we work 16 hours a day, until the directors send us home. This mentality surprises Italians: I also demand a lot from my collaborators. For me, ten hours of work is not enough."

What was his childhood like in Istanbul?

“I grew up in Suadiye, a residential neighborhood on the Asian side of the city, with soccer and basketball courts for boys. It is an area inhabited by second and third generation immigrants, as my grandparents are of Kosovar and Albanian origin, who had come to Turkey during the war. They spoke Albanian among themselves.”

Do you also speak Albanian?

“No. My father was born in Turkey and I grew up as a typical Istanbul boy, although among people from every country. We are not surprised by different cultures, they are part of the history of the Ottoman Empire. Turkey has a lot of migrants, and our location between the East, Europe and North Africa influences this a lot. As an adult, you can choose for yourself whether you want to be more Western or more Eastern.”

You have chosen to live in Italy. What does Italy represent to you?

“A culture I first got to know thanks to the Italian lyceum. At the age of 14 I spent the summer with a family in Livorno. I returned at 16 and I already spoke it very well. Every year the school rewarded the best students and I always won: once a laptop, once a sum of money. When I told the principal that I wanted to study Jurisprudence, she advised me to use the money to visit universities like Padua, Siena and Bologna.”

But you graduated in Turkey.

"For time reasons. In Italy I would need five years of study and two more internships, plus two more if I were to return to Turkey. I'd better finish it there."

Was it really your dream to become a lawyer?

“I had to choose a profession. I liked reading and learning languages, and my father said to me: 'You can become an international lawyer.' He is very persuasive and the idea of ??a career abroad appealed to me. After graduating, I got a job at Price Waterhouse Coopers and, thanks to a mentor who also became my friend, I started writing for magazines specializing in finance and legal issues.”

How did his parents react to his transition into acting?

"Maybe they didn't understand it at first, but they accepted it. They've always had a lot of faith in me."


Në përputhje me standarded JTI

Video

SHIKO KANALIN NE YOUTUBE
×