Young Actress of the Series ‘Ömer’: My Ideas and Ideals Have not Changed

We interviewed Çağla Naz Kargı, a young actress who portrays the character of Emine in Ömer, one of the most popular works of the season, about the series Ömer, the character Emine, her acting career and her ideals. Enjoy your reading…

According to what I read about you, you have appeared in commercials before, but your series/film acting adventure started with the movie Bizim Hikaye. How did this process evolve? Did you always want to be an actress?

I started acting at a very, very young age thanks to my family, I even shot my first commercial when I was three years old… While I always continued with commercials, things got serious with my first project Bizim Hikaye (movie), I started to form my own ideas gradually, and I was very little.

Magnificent Century Kösem was my first series project. I was very interested in the cast and the magnificent visuals created there.

After various projects, I realized that I wanted to be an actress when I got to know Adı Efsane team, which I joined when I was still in middle school…

Watching my actor brothers and friends I met there increased my appetite for acting and I can say that they were a light to my career. In short, this is how my adventure started.

I think you are continuing your high school education in fine arts. Will you continue your acting education? What are your goals in this regard?

Since I was a little girl, I was always on the sets and I thought that if I wanted to do this as a profession, I should also get an education. I am currently in my last year of high school, studying Fine Arts Theater. I want to continue at the conservatory at university. I believe that if I want to be successful in any field, I will have to fill my pockets and work hard.

I want to talk about Ömer, one of the most talked about works of the last season, but first let’s talk about the fact that Ömer is an adaptation. The first criticisms can be stricter in adaptation projects. What do you think about this?

I think adaptation projects are more interesting for me as a viewer, who adapted it how, how they interpreted it, it arouses my curiosity. For example, when I watched Shtisel, the fact that I was going to watch and act in its adaptation made me more excited about Ömer.

Apart from being an adaptation, Ömer is a project that is very open to harsh criticism in terms of its subject matter. At first, I read a lot of sharp and very negative criticism about my character and the general flow of the series, of course I am open to all kinds of criticism.

But there are hundreds of works that are adaptations, better or worse than each other. I think one should not look at the fact that it is an adaptation, but the work that has been done.

You play the character of Emine in the series Ömer and your performance is appreciated. How did you get involved in the project? What did you think when you first read the script?

When the audition for Emine came, I hadn’t heard of the cast yet. I first learned about Brother Selahattin and I was blown away. After meeting Cem Hoca, I learned about Sister Merve and I said myself, “Çağla, do whatever you can, take this job.” (Laughs)

I can’t describe my excitement when I read the script, I could visualize everything. When I watched the original Shtisel, I felt how far this project could take me in terms of my career, and then our energies clicked, everything went well and we started. Now I always say I’m glad to be part of such a cast again and again, I love them so much.

In addition to the difficulties of adolescence, Emine is also at the center of many family problems. Although sometimes she confronts her mom, they are actually each other’s biggest supporter. How do you feel as you get to know Emine?

Emine is a young girl who has grown up very early compared to her peers. An irresponsible, uncaring, unloving, evil father; the disagreements she has with her mom because of him, starving at times because of their economic situation, on the other hand, her siblings…

Therefore, an adolescent, who has taken on a lot of responsibility and is still a teenager due to his age, may not be able to see things from the correct side. She reflects this contradiction mostly in her reactions to her mom. She and her mom are best friends at some point, so at the end of the day they both manage to understand each other somehow and I think that’s very sweet…

Emine was a much more quiet, fearful, isolated girl in the first episodes of the series. She had a lot of conflicts inside, but I think she overcame them with the people she met over time. I feel the same emotions with her sometimes, we have a lot in common. I like to watch Emine’s path, to see her grow and mature day by day.

You play mother and daughter with Merve Dizdar and you work with many successful actors. Honestly, I am curious about your set environment.

I always say, I am blessed to be part of such a beautiful cast. From the youngest to the oldest, everyone’s heart is pure. I can say that Ömer was one of the sets that contributed the most to me.

I can’t tell you how happy it is to be in the same project with all the actors that I will say “I would like to work with” one by one in the future. Especially with Sister Merve, our energies matched very well, she became both a friend and a really good guide for me, I am very lucky to know someone like her. Even when I watch the scenes on set, I realize that I observe and learn a lot of things, which I think is a great chance.

There is a very professional atmosphere on set, everyone is trying to do their best. I think the energies and the warmth of everyone reflect beautifully on the screen.

Emine also has Yaman in the series. Their relationship seems to be improving even though there are some problems as the series progresses. What do you think about their families’ approach to their relationship? Yaman is played by Haktan Zavlak. How is it working with Haktan Zavlak?

After Emine got to know Yaman, there was a space where she felt peaceful, safe and happy. Even though something seems wrong with him, she trusts him and I think they have an innocent and different bond that goes beyond love.

They believe that they can overcome everything when they are together and they do their best for their friendship. Maybe their families are against it for justifiable reasons, it is normal for them to see it as something forbidden. But I think Emine and Yaman’s love is pure, innocent love without any sinister intentions.

Haktan was already my first partner in Bir Aile Hikayesi (A Family Story), which I was in a long time ago. We have always been in contact since then, it is a pleasure to play with him again. Haktan is a very good coworker and a very good friend. Our energy on set is always high because of our friendship and I think this is reflected on the screen.

Is there a director you would like to work with in the future or a specific character you would like to portray?

I would love to work with master directors like Nuri Bilge Ceylan and Emin Alper in the future. There is no specific character I want to play, I can play any character. I think I like to be in films outside the mainstream more, for example, I would like to be in films with high cinematography such as Cici, I would like to be in festival films, I would like to be a global actress.

Are you interested in theater, shall we see you in a theater play?

I was not involved in the theater until the last few years, but thanks to the people around me and my school, I gradually got into it and I loved it very much. Every time I go to the theater, I watch it with great admiration, there is a great effort and incredible feelings. It is definitely among my plans. I hope so… I would like to be on stage, I would love to receive that applause.

Considering that you started this profession at a young age, do you think your ideals have changed?

Ever since I was little, I never thought of a profession other than acting, so my goals have always been to play better, to do even better, to improve myself even more. What changed as time passed was not my ideas and ideals, but the paths I chose to become more permanent and better.

This content was published in the November 2023 Issue of Episode Magazine