Arsen Gürzap Now I want to play comedy

YOU ARE ART  ARSEN GÜRZAP…

The meaning of her name is “you are art” Gürzap, replied all of our questions sincerely and with her feeling of fine sense of humor ,which shines with her extraordinary nobility and kindness.  With her peaceful voice and her admirable diction she is accepted as if she were a live “Turkish Language Institute”, veteran player made very important statements about tv series, scripts, awards, and act of playing. Perhaps, these explanations of the experienced teacher would be a route map for young players.

FİLMSTUDİO: What is the reason for your preference for War of The Roses seri (Güllerin Savaşı) ,which is a successful production of the Channel  D? 

ARSEN GÜRZAP: It is a beautiful project. Before there were some series which tell about class discriminations but, Güllerin Savaşı takes the matter from a different point of view. The team is also very good, and also, a man named Fatih (Aksoy) who never accepts the word “no” so, he is the real reason that made me accept it. 

NOW I WANT TO PLAY COMEDY 

FİLMSTUDİO: We have seen you in similar roles. You always played ultimately noble, autocratic and a great lady and a mother. Some day, will you surprise your fans and will you play very different roles? 

ARSEN GÜRZAP: I was used to playing  drama at State Theater . Someday, Gencay Gürün offered me to play comedy in An Odd Couple ( Tuhaf Bir Çift) play.  Somehow ,I was motivated. Since,  Gencay knows me very well , in fact he know how much I was hoaxer. He had never offered comedy until that time. May the God rest him in peace, Metin Serezli sees the play and said to me “where have you been?” .It was the greatest compliment that I had received. I do like playing comedy.

FİLMSTUDİO: then should we address your audiences via Filmstudio ?

ARSEN GÜRZAP: I guess, we should do that: I want to play in a sitcom. 

NEWSCASTERS CAN NOT PASS MY EXAMS

FİLMSTUDİO: we know you are very sensitive about Turkish. Can you watch tv like everybody  ?  

ARSEN GÜRZAP: I like to hear news .I watch  CNN ,but forget about the pronunciations of VTR readers, they  are reading as is there is no comma or dot, .We have schools named  “Diyalog” , if the speakers ,who are educated there , performs in the exams like this I wouldn’t let them pass the exam. The reason is they do not have a right to read in such a stress. The thing is, the voice  should tell about the news .

I USED TO ADDICTED OF AVRUPA YAKASI (EUROPEAN SIDE)

FİLMSTUDİO: do you watch films ?

ARSEN GÜRZAP: I can not watch for a long period of time. I am a hyperactive and my attention limit is only 45 minutes. Of course, I watch from time to time, and there are very successful seris among them. 

FİLMSTUDİO: what do you think about comedy seris?

ARSEN GÜRZAP: I used to an addict to Avrupa Yakası. On the other hand, Yalan Dünya does not attracts me in the meaning of playing like  Avrupa Yakası does to me. May God   rest in sleep, in  Avrupa Yakası Mr. Gazanfer and  Hümeyra were great. Also, with the character of  Burhan Altıntop  Engin Günaydın were great too. 

IT IS A BIG PROBLEM IF A PLAYER DOES NOT PLAY WITH HIS OWN VOICE

FİLMSTUDİO: Some players can not play with their voices. Do you think this is a serious deficit? 

ARSEN GÜRZAP: Of course. From time to time , we think that in those years, if voiced film shootings were made  then, would those cinema stars ,who were pioneers of the Turkish Cinema, have been still the lovers of people . During the Yeşilçam period there were only 3 cinema starts and all of them were voiced by  Jeyan Mahfi , would it be accepted? It is really, unbelievable. 

THE DILEMMA OF PLAYER : WILL IT BE COMMON OR RESPECTED?

FİLMSTUDİO: as a veteran player and teacher who are those people you like for their both voices and act of playing ?

ARSEN GÜRZAP: there are very valuable young people from the new generation. Some of them really love this and trains themselves for this purpose. I always say this:  you have two choices to be either common or respected. It is easy to be common ,but to be respected and to be a professional there is no method  other than qualifying yourself. 

KIVANÇ WILL BE STILL A POPULAR PLAYER WHEN HE BECOMES 60 YEARS OLD

FİLMSTUDİO: is there anybody who has succeeded to be both common and respected?

ARSEN GÜRZAP: it will be a very typical, but the point that Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ achieved today from the very beginning is for me really respectful. Kıvanç is very good looking boy, he would just rely on this advantage and get benefit from it. But, he developed himself and equipped. I do know very well that: when  Kıvanç will be 60 years old, he will be still popular and player character. With other words, he will not disappear when he lost his star shine.  

DEMET EVGAR IS MY PIRIMARY CANDIDATE 

Also, I do love intelligence and act of playing of  Demet Evgar. Besides she is very beautiful and she is my primary candidate. 

WHEN THEIR BEAUTY GOES NO PRODUCTER KNOCKS THEIR DOORS 

The doors of many pretty girls will not be knocked by producers when their beauty gone away. The reason is they have not prepared their background. The new generation is running around with telephones in their hand. Ask them what book they are reading, and learn what would they say? 

I WATCH NEVRA SEREZLİ INTO HER  

FİLMSTUDİO: who is admired by Arsen Gürzap ?

ARSEN GÜRZAP: as a comedian I do love  Nevra Serezli. I watched into her when he played Altı Haftada Altı Dans (The six dance in six weeks) with  Cihan Ünal. Perhaps, you will find it very old but there was an actress names  Macide Tanır, and I used to find her playing very qualified.

There is a TV seri ,True Detective, in the last part , there was so nice scene, and I almost die due to my envy .  It would be a lesson to script writers and I cried when I was seeing it. This opportunity is not given to our players in scripts.

DUE TO TIMELESSNESS SOPHISTICATED SCENARIOS CAN NOT WRITTEN 

FİLMSTUDİO: do you find our scenarios inadequate?

ARSEN GÜRZAP: they are adequate from the point of subject, but they do not have time to write more sophisticated to let the player act.  

FİLMSTUDİO: now, we come to the point that the time periods of seris. Do you think due to intensive works and in return timelessness, qualified scenarios can not written?

ARSEN GÜRZAP: naturally. Look, a script is written, and that script is exposed revision and it delivered in the last day. Perhaps, given the enough time they can write perfect but they do not have time. The issue is not talent, but the time.   

WE DO NOT HAVE ANY OTHER CHANCE BUT PLAYING IN SERIS 

FİLMSTUDİO: from the hinted words, apparently we understand that you are not very happy with seris. However, you still continue to play in seris.

ARSEN GÜRZAP: naturally, you have to play, you do not have any other chance. You can survive as much as you work. Also, you have to be realistic in the meaning of economy. You can not say, I do this for charity reasons, it is not possible. If they do not confess this, then, it means they lie. Naturally, some of the seris may be different from each other then, you want to be there sincerely. 

FARAH ZEYNEP ABDULLAH CAN REPRESENT US IN THE WORLD 

FİLMSTUDİO: as a veteran player and teacher do you count players who can represent us worldwide? 

ARSEN GÜRZAP: Many of them would. I have seen the 1st part of the  Kurt Seyit ve Şura , so  Farah Zeynep Abdullah represents and  Kıvanç represents too, and May God rest  in peace, Tuncel Kurtiz used to represent.

KIŞ UYKUSU (WINTER SLEEP) IS ADEQUATE IN THE MEANING OF ART

FİLMSTUDİO: since 1964 we have been sending films to  Akademy but we have not won an Oscar Price yet. Next year we will send Kış Uykusu. What would be our chance? 

ARSEN GÜRZAP:  I think it has chance . I guess, it is adequate in the meaning of art.

I DO NOT THINK THAT THE AWARDS ARE INNOCENT 

FİLMSTUDİO: do you think there was no qualified film ,in the meaning of art which can win an Oscar? 

ARSEN GÜRZAP: Do you want to hear something? When the matter is involved in an award then, I do not think it is innocent.

I DO NOT THINK TURKEY IS AWARDED BY  OSCAR 

FİLMSTUDİO:  do you think the prizes are political?

ARSEN GÜRZAP: I do not prefer to say political, but it does not seem innocent to me. Some prizes given to Turkey . The nominees are decided and 

the so called award ceremony it is given. Ali Poyrazoğlu came to the ceremony in female dress for which he was awarded for the best comedy player, which he played a female  .Would he had come to the ceremony in female dress, if he didn’t know that he was going to be awarded.  Halle Berry, Oscar was the first black woman who was received an Oscar. I do not think, it is a coincidence either. There are social and political sides. For an instant, this year, I do not think Turkey will be granted an award.

I DO NOT WANT TO TALK NEGATIVE ABOUT COMEDY FILMS 

FİLMSTUDİO: what do you think about the comedy films that lately achieved great cinema ticket sales ?

ARSEN GÜRZAP: why are you asking me to speak about in negative manner? 

I WATCHED RECEP İVEDİK AS I TIED MYSELF 

FİLMSTUDİO: the films like Düğün Dernek (Wedding ), Recep İvedik are other films  are successful by means of ticket sales.

ARSEN GÜRZAP: I would say good lucks.

ŞAHAN INFACT A TALENTED BOY 

FİLMSTUDİO: why our people mostly prefer comedy in cinema ?

ARSEN GÜRZAP: laughing is a relaxing thing. Our people can not laugh a lone. We are fed by our unhappiness but there is also naughty side in us. Here we go! It is name is  Recep İvedik. Perhaps it reflects some part of our people. Otherwise, why should it be so much successful? I watched  Recep İvedik 2 ,but just until the half of it. I tied myself and watched. It is too exaggerated. Şahan, infact a very talented boy.

BOX…………………………………………………………….

GOLDEN ADVICES TO YOUNG PLAYERS BY ARSEN TEACHER 

PLAYING IS NOT PERFORMED FOR SHOW PURPOSES 

Test how much do you like this job . If you do not like , do not do it.

If you want to stay on the scene, you have to invest yourself .

Take education. You do not have to study a university; there are many places where training is provided. 

An education is thought how to use the voice of an instrument, and your body and feelings.

Without reading, without working and spending efforts you can not equip yourself. If you want to carry on this job continuously you have to equip yourself without getting bored.

This life is not only act of playing; you also equip yourself in the meaning of identity.

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TUNCEL KURTİZ IS A SAINT PLAYER 

FİLMSTUDİO: who would be the synonym of the definition of “saint player” by Grotowski?

ARSEN GÜRZAP: it is Tuncel Kurtiz, and from the world it is  Alpacino.

IF THE PLAYING IS STANDING AND LOOKING THEN, WHAT IS  AL PACINO IS DOING?

FİLMSTUDİO: is there nobody from female players ?

ARSEN GÜRZAP: I would say to young players if playing is just standing and looking then, what was Al Pacino doing? They say, do not exaggerate, do not play more. If you play it right then, you will have a chance to exaggerate.

TO ME IT IS BRAGGING IF ONE SAY I DID NOT PLAY OUT OF THE ROLE

FİLMSTUDİO: Considering the roles that you have played until now, what is the character that influenced your subconscious as well?

ARSEN GÜRZAP: there is no bragging in my life. Just because you played Hürrem, so you can not be Hürrem.

FİLMSTUDİO: Don’t you ever played a character that it was hard to leave the character?

ARSEN GÜRZAP: No.Look, I played two  Çehov, Vişne Bahçesi (cherry orchard) and  Üç Kız kardeş (three sisters) .These make you upside down. You become to much into these roles. When the curtain down, it is over. 

If I am a player, and I am successful, I only talk on me that it is just a bragging if you say” I was so concentrated that I could not avoid that feeling”. 

EVERYTHING WOULD BE PERFECT IF SERIS ARE KEPT ONLY AN HOUR

FİLMSTUDİO: what is the most important problem of the seri business?

ARSEN GÜRZAP: The time duration of the seris. I believe that there are very strong companies and 

If these time periods are not so long, they would made the film set better. Forget about 45 minutes, if the time periods of films are lowered to an hour everything will be great.

ARSEN MEANS “YOU ARE ART”

FİLMSTUDİO: Arsen is a rare name, is there anybody but you?

ARSEN GÜRZAP: Yes, and it is an Armenian male name. But I am not an Armenian. 

FİLMSTUDİO: Arsen means “you are art”, do you believe that names effect personalities of people and also, their destinies?

ARSEN GÜRZAP: I have never thought that until you say this, but now ,I say “perhaps”. My father named me, in those years writers, drawing artists , poets are friends of my father. I asked my father if he had ever an Armenian lover. He said “no”, but I loved this name and named you, he said.

MY FATHER HAS GURCU BACKGROUND 

FİLMSTUDİO: Do you also have Circassia origin ?

ARSEN GÜRZAP: No, it is not. My father is originated Gurcu. Five generation earlier from my father , five brothers came from Gurcistan (Georgia) and found Eğin.