Biography
Name: Oktay Çubuk
Date of Birth: March 12, 1996
Place of Birth: Izmir, Turkey
Height: 5’11” (1.80 m)
Marital Status: Single
Instagram: @oktaycubuks
Early Life
Oktay Çubuk was born on March 12, 1996, in Izmir, Turkey. He was drawn to performing from an early age, taking part in school theater and music productions as a kid, and has said that being in front of an audience always felt natural to him.
He finished high school at Izmir American College, then moved to Istanbul to study at Istanbul Bilgi University’s Cinema and Television Department. Çubuk was admitted with the top entrance score in his group and completed the degree on a full scholarship. He also trained at Istanbul’s Cüneyt Sayıl acting studio to build his on-camera skills before starting his professional career.
Career
Çubuk made his television debut in 2017, playing Ömer Gürsu in “Cennet’s Tears” (Cennet’in Gözyaşları). Two years later, he joined the Show TV drama “Love Makes You Cry” (Aşk Ağlatır) as Fırat.
In 2020, he took the lead in “Bir Nefes Daha,” a Turkish-German drama sometimes listed in English as “When I’m Done Dying,” playing a character named Fehmi. The role brought his first major recognition: Best Actor at the Turkish Film Critics Association’s 54th SİYAD Awards and the Promising Young Actor prize at the Adana Golden Boll Film Festival (Altın Koza) in 2021. He also appeared around this time in the drama “Sol Yanım” (My Left Side).
2022 was a busy year. Çubuk took his first starring role in “Duran,” a digital series for GAİN, and trained in boxing for about two months to prepare for the part. He also joined the cast of Show TV’s “Baba” (Father) as Kadircan Saruhanlı, working alongside veteran actors Haluk Bilginer and Tolga Sarıtaş, and led the Star TV comedy “Ah Nerede” (Oh Where) as Ferit, opposite Nil Keser — a modern take on a Turkish film of the same name.
He went on to play Kaan Akıncı in the FOX drama “Adım Farah” (My Name Is Farah) in 2023, followed by roles in “Sorgu” (Interrogation) and ATV’s “Can Borcu,” where he played Çınar Muşluoğlu, in 2024.
Çubuk’s most prominent role to date is Halil Şahinoğlu in “Sürgünler” (Exiles), a period drama on TRT’s streaming platform, tabii. Set during World War II, it follows an engineering student who returns home from France only to be wrongly imprisoned, with Ezgi Şenler co-starring as prison doctor Meryem. Filmed largely at a former prison in Edirne, “Sürgünler” became one of the biggest successes of his career, and he had just wrapped filming its second season when he faced a serious health emergency in the spring of 2026.
Personal Life
Çubuk dated fellow actor Bahar Şahin starting in 2022, after the two appeared together in “Duran.” The relationship played out partly in public, including sightings of the couple in Istanbul’s Bebek neighborhood, but it ended within the same year. Turkish entertainment outlets at the time linked the split to Çubuk’s on-screen partnership with Nil Keser in “Ah Nerede,” since Keser had also been a close friend of Şahin’s; Şahin posted about loyalty between friends and unfollowed Keser on social media, which fueled speculation, though neither Çubuk nor Keser ever confirmed a relationship. Çubuk has not publicly confirmed a partner since.
In late April 2026, Çubuk suffered a sudden cardiac arrest while traveling in Lisbon, Portugal. He collapsed at a hotel gym, and his heart stopped briefly before he was revived and rushed to intensive care. He remained hospitalized for about two months and was released in late June 2026. In a social media post after his discharge, he thanked his family, friends, and fans for their support and said the experience had changed how he thinks about his life going forward. On July 1, 2026, he made his first public appearance since the incident and told reporters his health had returned to normal.
Interesting Facts
- Entered Istanbul Bilgi University’s Cinema and Television program with the top entrance score in his group and finished the degree on a full scholarship.
- Trained in boxing for about two months to prepare for his first lead role, in the digital series “Duran.”
- Won Best Actor at the 54th SİYAD Awards and the Promising Young Actor prize at the Adana Golden Boll Film Festival, both for “Bir Nefes Daha” (2021).
- Enjoys football and basketball, and has said he used to invent entire football leagues with a notebook and a small ball as a kid.
- His zodiac sign is Pisces.
- Recovered from a sudden cardiac arrest in Lisbon in April 2026 and was back to public appearances by July of the same year.
Photo Gallery
