As Episode Magazine, we spoke with İdil Sivritepe who plays Ekin in Disney+ original We’ll Be Fine.
I met with İdil Sivritepe, who brings to life the character of Ekin in We’ll Be Fine, a figure at the center of the story as both a friend and a psychologist. İdil Sivritepe spoke sincerely about the strong bond her character forms with Lal, the balance between professionalism and emotion, and how she built this multi-layered world throughout her acting process.
In the series, you play Lal’s closest friend. At the same time, your character is a psychologist. How did you define the character while building these two sides as both friend and therapist?
Ekin is a character who has found her balance in life very well. In fact, I see her main test in the story exactly in this question. Is it possible, or even right, to approach a friend who is struggling in a professional way? Or does being a friend inevitably bring mistakes with it? I think the greatest advantage of her being a psychologist is that it allows Ekin to remain calm most of the time. And that calmness is exactly what Lal needs the most within all this chaos.
Lal goes through very critical moments, and your character often feels like her safest space. What do you think your character represents for Lal?
I would say they are each other’s safe harbor. There’s always someone in your life that you know will be there no matter what, and that person becomes indispensable to you. But let’s not forget, you also start to feel like you have the right to neglect that person. Even when mistakes happen, I think this friendship is built on unconditional love.
At the same time, your character is in a relationship with the character played by Olgu Baran Kubilay. How does she balance these two different worlds, friendship and love?
Yes, this is a relationship built on very solid foundations. As I said, she’s a very balanced character and she has positioned herself well within her circle of friends. Their relationship is both respectful and full of love. Eşref holds a very big place in Lal’s life. At the same time, he is Ekin’s greatest supporter.
When portraying a psychologist, were there specific things you paid attention to? Did you draw inspiration from real-life psychologists?
Of course. Because of our profession, we already study and read about human psychology. I tried to reflect that as accurately as I could. I can say that I focused especially on her not taking things personally, even when her closest friend is suffering.
Some of your character’s scenes feel like the most emotionally powerful moments of the story. What did you feel when you read those scenes?
It was very enjoyable. As the story unfolded, and especially during the dubbing phase in post-production, I became even more excited. I hope I was able to contribute something meaningful on top of the world created by Neslihan Yeşilyurt and the performances of the cast.
Lal and Aktan’s relationship is very turbulent. From the outside, what do you think your character sees most clearly in that relationship?
I think she sees lessons that need to be learned and tests that need to be faced. I believe Ekin approaches all this chaos knowing that it’s part of a process.
The visual world created by Neslihan Yeşilyurt is quite powerful. What kind of experience was it for you to work with her as an actor?
Neslihan is a very imaginative and highly creative woman. She’s someone I’ve wanted to work with for a long time. From the moment this project was approved, we started this set with a sense of closeness and enthusiasm. I feel very happy to have created something I truly wanted. I’m sure when we watch it, we will feel Neslihan’s world.
As an actor, what are your methods when building a character’s emotional depth? Do you rely more on intuition or are you more analytical?
I think both work together. Intuition and analysis come together to create a world. Once I’m logically convinced by the character’s direction, staying with intuition in the scene probably creates one of the most realistic outcomes.
In the series, you play both a friend and a psychologist. If you were Lal’s friend in real life, what would be the first piece of advice you’d give her about love?
I’m an incredibly instinctive person, I probably would have already started a fight. My protective instincts would definitely kick in. After speaking so deeply about all of this, giving this answer wasn’t very elegant, but… :))
