Biography
Şener Şen is the son of actor Ali Şen and the brother of actress İnci Şen. Şener Şen began acting in 1958 at the age of 17 as an amateur at the Yeşil Sahne Theater in Cağaloğlu. From 1964 to 1966 he taught in elementary schools in the villages of eastern Anatolia. In 1966 he returned to the stage at the City Theater in Istanbul. He made his film debut with a small role in the drama film So-Called Girls (1967), directed by Nejat Saydam.
He was the one of ensemble cast in classic comedy films Hababam Sınıfı, Tosun Paşa, Gülen Gözler, Süt Kardeşler, Şabanoğlu Şaban, Neşeli Günler, Bizim Aile.
Since 1980s, he continued as lead role in more than thirty films.
For his role as Nazım in Yavuz Turgul's movie Gönül Yarası (2005), he won the "Best Actor" award at the 42nd International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival. His roles in the movies Kabadayı (2007) and Av Mevsimi (2010) in which he shared the leading role with Çetin Tekindor and Cem Yılmaz are among his latest works. In 2015, Şen appeared in a commercial for Aygaz.
On 28 December 2016, at the Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Prize ceremony, he received an award from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan after which he said: "Stories tell us how we can live life. I have carefully selected the characters I've portrayed to serve the good and right. I believed that societies looking for good, right and beauty will always live in peace. I accept this award with the hope of contributing to our social peace."
Şen is the father of one daughter, Bengü Şen (b. 1974) from his first marriage.
Filmography
TV shows
- İkinci Bahar
Awards
- 1978 15. Antalya Film Festivali (15th Antalya Film Festival), Çöpçüler Kralı, Best Supporting Actor
- 1987 24. Antalya Film Festivali (15th Antalya Film Festival), Muhsin Bey, Best Actor
- 1997 Valencia Film Festival, Eşkiya, Best Actor
- 2005 42. Antalya Film Festivali (15th Antalya Film Festival), Gönül Yarası, Best Actor
- 2016 Cumhurbaşkanlığı Kültür ve Sanat Büyük Ödülleri (Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Awards)
