As Episode Magazine, we spoke with Yılmaz Bayraktar who plays Barış on Disney+ original We’ll Be Fine.
In We’ll Be Fine, Barış is a character who never gives up loving, even while his heart is breaking. We sat down with Yılmaz Bayraktar to talk about the inner world of this “good man,” the kind of love that sometimes requires stepping back, and how the hardest goodbyes are lived in silence.
In the series, you play the fiancé of Lal, portrayed by Miray Daner. At first glance, he seems like a very proper, even a “good guy.” How would you define your character?
Exactly. Barış is someone whose character and personality are well-established, who knows what he wants and listens to his heart, but also believes that love and a relationship can only exist through mutual effort and passion. At the same time, even if his own heart is broken, he is mature enough not to break the heart of the person he loves and to step aside when necessary.
There’s a very striking situation in the story: Barış realizes that his fiancée’s heart actually belongs to someone else. How did playing someone facing such a reality affect you as an actor?
Yes, from Barış’s perspective, what he goes through is truly very sad. While playing him, I, as Yılmaz, felt the same pain. It wasn’t easy.
In that moment, he makes a very difficult decision and steps back. Do you think Barış does this out of pride, or truly out of love?
Definitely not out of pride, but out of love. Because love is wanting the person you love to be happy—with or without you. Honestly, as Yılmaz, I also believe love is exactly that, and if I were in Barış’s place, I would have done the same.
Audiences usually take sides in love stories. Barış seems to be on the side that stays silent but carries the heaviest emotions. How did you prepare to build that feeling?
When a relationship he has invested in for years falls apart right on the verge of marriage, Barış’s world collapses. So I tried, as much as I could, to feel and convey his helplessness and devastation to the audience. I leave it to the audience to decide which side to take because of course, I can’t be impartial 🙂
Lal and Aktan’s relationship is at the center of the series, but Barış also affects the emotional balance of the story. Where do you think he stands within this triangle?
Actually, before Aktan, Lal and Barış had a very happy relationship. But then fate happens. When Lal’s path unexpectedly crosses with Aktan’s, love begins to exist between three people. And because Barış doesn’t want to leave either himself or Lal in such a position, he steps aside for the happiness of the woman he loves.
What was it like working on set, especially with Miray Daner and Mert Ramazan Demir? How did your on-screen chemistry form?
My energy with both Miray and Mert clicked from the very first day. Because we were able to have fun on set, and because we trusted and respected each other as friends, that positive energy naturally reflected in front of the camera. While performing scenes, we were able to give each other space very easily.
The atmosphere created by Neslihan Yeşilyurt is quite stylized and emotional. What kind of space did working with her open up for you as an actor?
Our director Neslihan Yeşilyurt prioritized creating a unifying atmosphere for all of us from the very first day, which increased our motivation to work. She’s also not a director of rigid boundaries, she listens to her actors’ ideas and gives us freedom in performance. That’s why working with her was a great pleasure.
Lastly, I’m curious about your career: what excites you most as an actor? What feeling motivates you when starting a new character?
When I choose a project, I focus less on the project itself and more on what this new character can bring to me. Barış was a very different character from those I’ve played before, and through him I discovered new sides and emotions in myself that I didn’t know before.
As an actor, I value having a wide range of characters in the projects I’m part of. Even though I’ve mostly portrayed “bad” characters until now, I really enjoyed playing Barış, who represents love and affection—and that sense of discovery is my greatest motivation.
