Vahi Öz, real name Vahe Özanyan, was a colorful artist who left his mark on our theater and cinema world. Born in Istanbul, Özanyan was the son of a family of Armenian origin. He continued his education in Samsun and started to take the stage at a young age. Vahi Öz, who took his first professional steps with the plays of the Community Center, later gained a solid place for himself in the Istanbul City Theaters. In the later years of his career, he also appeared before the audience by taking part in Ankara Radio.
Continuing his acting adventure in cinema, Vahi Öz directed his first film in 1947. The artist, who crowned his success in cinema with theater, founded the Naşit Theater together with Adile Naşit and Aziz Basmacı. He became known to the masses in the 1960s, especially with his character "Horoz Nuri". The comedy duo he formed with Mualla Sürer attracted great attention from the audience.
Vahi Öz did not only act, he also made a record and performed a duet with Öztürk Serengil in the song "We Got Free from Being Single". He also contributed to artistic life by directing and establishing a theater company in his own name.
Unfortunately, Vahi Öz passed away due to prostate cancer. According to his wife, his last words were, "Thank God, I don't owe anyone anything." It is known that the artist, who was buried in Feriköy Cemetery, had five marriages in his private life. His last wife was Jale Öz, who was also an actress. After her husband's death, Jale Öz entrusted the artist's important theater belongings, cufflinks and make-up set to her colleague Nejat Uygur.
Vahi Öz was born on November 3, 1911 in Istanbul, Ottoman Empire. He died on February 12, 1969.
Productions in which he took part
He took part in a total of 136 productions; 12 of the most well-known are listed.
- Almond Sugar (1963) — Çukuralı Horoz Ali Paşa
- Bloody Nigar (1968) — Agah Efendi
- Cute Girls (1965)
- Heart Hunter (1962)
- Şaşkın Baba (1963) — Nafiz
- I'm Under My Hat (1965)
- Never mind Doctor (1962) — Yasar Bey
- Ephesus of Efes (1952)
- Unknown Woman (1955) — Şahit Mahmut
- Making Love is Forbidden (1965)
- The Waited Song (1953)
- The Sin of Youth (1947)
Production and imprint information was taken from TMDB.
