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Turkish actor Göksel Arsoy, known as Turkish cinema’s “Golden Boy,” has died at 90. Funeral prayers will be held tomorrow at Barbaros Hayrettin Pasha Mosque, followed by burial at Zincirlikuyu Cemetery. His acting career spanned more than half a century, alongside work in production and music.

Born in Kayseri on March 15, 1936, Arsoy attracted filmmakers’ attention while working at Yeşilköy Airport during his economics studies at Istanbul University. He made his screen debut in 1957 and rose to prominence with the 1959 film “Milky Way,” co-starring Belgin Doruk. The pair appeared together in 15 films, and Arsoy became a leading romantic actor in the 1960s.

He founded Göksel Film in 1962 and produced 12 productions. Among them was the 1963 aviation film “Dawn Watchmen,” in which he also starred. He explored action and adventure projects and pursued international co-productions. One proposed film involving Italian, Turkish and Lebanese actors never materialized because of war in Lebanon.

Arsoy led the Cinema Actors Association from 1997 to 1999. His honors included a lifetime achievement award at the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival in 1999, an honorary cinema award at the Istanbul Film Festival in 2019 and a presidential culture and arts award for cinema in 2024.

Key Takeaways

• Arsoy died at 90 after an acting career spanning more than five decades.
• His funeral prayers and burial are scheduled for tomorrow.
• He founded his own production company and received major Turkish cinema honors.