In October 2010, Meryem Uzerli won a Special Jury Prize at the 47th International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, International Feature Competition, for her small but compelling role in the acclaimed short film, Journey of No Return. In the same month in 2010 in Istanbul, despite a few miscommunications in early auditions as she is learning a foreign language, I'm sure the creators of Magnificent Century are grateful this exceedingly beautiful and talented young woman was offered the role of Alexandra/Hürrem by Meral Okay, the show's principal writer. Ms. Uzerli worked diligently to develop a captivating, multi-faceted character, aging the role over twenty years (from approximately 16 to her late 30's), and performed her resplendently for 100 episodes over three seasons.
In Seasons 1 and 2, Meral Okay almost never leaves the character Hürrem without at least one friend's support-even during an exile (isn't Gülnihal/Maria wonderful? And the friendship between Hürrem and Hatice is truly enjoyable-with support for each other through Season 1 and most of Season 2). However, for Season 3 in a sudden and stark change right from the beginning, the writing and predominant plots make Hürrem the prime target of utter vindictiveness, while she is mostly friendless with Sümbül Aga and one dubious Kalfa to help. We would think that Episode 72 would be Hürrem's emotional low point, but new hostile characters in the story bring even more stressors and their scheming plots keep whirling around her. Her enemies hang one of her most loyal concubines that had been with her since Season 1, and kill several guards and concubines to target her alone in a particularly harrowing bath scene. In trying to present Süleyman as dominant, not dominated by his wife, the writer instead presents a weaker man prone to patriarchal pride, anger, indifference, and manipulation by his conniving sisters and their operatives against Hürrem. One sister brags that she can setup a scheme so clever and make Süleyman so angry with Hürrem that he will execute her. And according to what Süleyman very angrily tells Afife Hatun in Episode 96, it could work! In fact, in another sudden and ironic change for Season 3, the character Süleyman does not show steadfast love and concern for his wife Hürrem until after she suddenly goes missing in the last 3 episodes.
Meryem Uzerli gives a particularly brave and insightful performance as Hürrem Sultan, so much so that her interpretation of Hürrem transcends this dynastic family's hubris so central in Season 3's writing. There are plenty of high drama scenes with Ms. Uzerli commanding her appropriate full-on responses. In addition, in short quiet scenes, the subtlety of her acting as Hürrem is also exceedingly well done. Some examples are: in Episode 72, after the suicide attempt, when she goes to ask her estranged husband for permission to provide feeding places for the poor (Hürrem appears especially formal and proper; she's wondering, did Afife tell Süleyman about her suicide attempt?; therefore, she's calmly backing away from him emotionally because she needs to save herself for the children; "I don't need your help, Süleyman" when he offers); in Episode 78, her reactions to Süleyman when he is trying to win her back with poetic language and compliments (She's been so hurt, she often cannot look him in the eye and she looks down and away as he speaks; she is unsure if she can trust his words; does he mean the sentiments this time or is he going to turn away again to someone else?); in Episode 91, when she's invited to see the model of the mosque and she asks to change its building location (her joy in seeing that the mosque is taking shape, and with Ebussuud Efendi's assent, Suleyman grasps why she wants to change the neighborhood and approves); and in Episode 93, at a time when it seems *everything* is going wrong for her (the haters are targeting her again, Shah Sultan's daughter Esmahan gets hurt in the bath and Mihrimah is suspected, Bayezid is missing and she's trying to track his whereabouts, and her 2 oldest sons are with Suleyman on war campaign, etc.), she visits Ebussuud and his wife and then goes and explains modestly and compassionately to the woman who will not sell her house why she needs the land to build the mosque complex in that particular neighborhood. In these quieter scenes and others, Ms. Uzerli shows her ability to inhabit Hürrem and brings out the emotional behaviors naturally present in a character under so much pressure.
But the effort takes its toll on her. The confluence of the character Hürrem's deep involvement as the target or initiator in harem plots, her husband falling out of love with her and directing his passion to another "favorite," the stress of mothering five growing, inspiring children (and the pressure of Süleyman's expectations on her for instilling their education and proper behavior), and the actual attacks upon her both physically and emotionally from the dynastic family and their operatives leads to unrealistic levels of sorrow and trauma way beyond any character's psychological makeup to cope.
Ms. Uzerli, who "becomes Hürrem," experiences it all as she emotes Hürrem's fervent, passionate responses. No wonder Ms. Uzerli experienced "burnout" (and most likely symptoms of PTSD) performing Hürrem in 37 unusually stress-filled 90-minute episodes in Season 3. While enduring these overwhelming pressures as an actor, the resulting trauma experienced over and over can bring on basic survival instincts, fight or flight. Yes, it can happen suddenly. This is serious. After Episode 100, she had to leave the show and Istanbul for her own safety and seek a familiar and secure place to recover with medical care and expert mental health support. She had to return her hair to its natural color just to look in the mirror. She had to leave Hürrem and the scripted trauma behind and return to real Meryem. PTSD does not happen to the weak-minded or the cowardly; it is often encountered by the very dedicated, gifted, and brave-soldiers, paramedics, firefighters, and yes, actors-who are so focused on the effort at hand that they forget to monitor their mounting stress levels and emotional needs.
It's a lesson for creative teams of TV programs to stay connected to their cast members and monitor their psychological as well as their physical security. These roles draw strong actors who want to pursue professional challenges. However, if an actor as tough as Michael B. Jordan needed therapy after giving great energy to his emotional role in the movie Black Panther, the professional concern of producers for their cast recommends they maintain consistent communication, especially with lead actors playing characters exposed to unrelenting emotional trauma in long-running TV dramas.
The journey that started for Ms. Uzerli with the auditions in 2010 becomes the multiple dramatic and subtle layers she creates in her portrayal as Hürrem, the character who truly embodies the heart and soul of Magnificent Century. This requires commitment and challenging work with all her co-actors' collaboration, especially, of course, the superb Halit Ergenç as Sultan Süleyman Khan. She illuminates Hürrem's humanity to shine on the vital human needs embedded in Meral Okay's themes for the show: Deepest Love and devotion in marriage and nurturing family; complete loyalty and kindness held in friendship; fervent faith at the very core of leadership for both fairness and justice embedded in law; belief that kind humor and lightheartedness can help heal loneliness and bring peace; and, most of all, unwavering spiritual hope that the effort is still worth it in the face of great personal loss. And joined with all the efforts of the entire Magnificent Century cast and crew, Ms. Uzerli gives those needs universal meaning beyond language through this character, Hürrem Sultan. No wonder the show reaches millions of viewers and such a wide multicultural, multi-ethnic audience.
In April 2019, Meryem Uzerli gave a poignant interview to Muhammad Asad Ullah, published in the online Gulf Times. The author calls the interview: "a candid conversation where she granted permission and access to a rarely-before-seen side of herself, delving into her childhood memories including her first acting gig and shunning off rumours that surrounded her once and for all." I invite you to read the entire interview.
Here Ms. Uzerli answers the interviewer's question concerning her role of Hürrem: Interviewer: "Sometimes a single performance sets the standards and all subsequent performances pale in comparison no matter how hard one tries. Would you be able to outdo the Hürrem legacy?"
Meryem Uzerli: "Hürrem Sultan is of course, one of the strongest female characters in history. I am very grateful and proud that I had a chance to play such a powerful character - what a gift for an actress! In general, there's a boom in portrayal of strong female characters, which is great, but each character I played has its own strengths, weaknesses, differences. It would be boring to always embody the same dynamics. Sometimes there can be a lot of strength in a quiet character. I never compare my work. It all stands for itself and that's a good thing."
In Seasons 1 and 2, Meral Okay almost never leaves the character Hürrem without at least one friend's support-even during an exile (isn't Gülnihal/Maria wonderful? And the friendship between Hürrem and Hatice is truly enjoyable-with support for each other through Season 1 and most of Season 2). However, for Season 3 in a sudden and stark change right from the beginning, the writing and predominant plots make Hürrem the prime target of utter vindictiveness, while she is mostly friendless with Sümbül Aga and one dubious Kalfa to help. We would think that Episode 72 would be Hürrem's emotional low point, but new hostile characters in the story bring even more stressors and their scheming plots keep whirling around her. Her enemies hang one of her most loyal concubines that had been with her since Season 1, and kill several guards and concubines to target her alone in a particularly harrowing bath scene. In trying to present Süleyman as dominant, not dominated by his wife, the writer instead presents a weaker man prone to patriarchal pride, anger, indifference, and manipulation by his conniving sisters and their operatives against Hürrem. One sister brags that she can setup a scheme so clever and make Süleyman so angry with Hürrem that he will execute her. And according to what Süleyman very angrily tells Afife Hatun in Episode 96, it could work! In fact, in another sudden and ironic change for Season 3, the character Süleyman does not show steadfast love and concern for his wife Hürrem until after she suddenly goes missing in the last 3 episodes.
Meryem Uzerli gives a particularly brave and insightful performance as Hürrem Sultan, so much so that her interpretation of Hürrem transcends this dynastic family's hubris so central in Season 3's writing. There are plenty of high drama scenes with Ms. Uzerli commanding her appropriate full-on responses. In addition, in short quiet scenes, the subtlety of her acting as Hürrem is also exceedingly well done. Some examples are: in Episode 72, after the suicide attempt, when she goes to ask her estranged husband for permission to provide feeding places for the poor (Hürrem appears especially formal and proper; she's wondering, did Afife tell Süleyman about her suicide attempt?; therefore, she's calmly backing away from him emotionally because she needs to save herself for the children; "I don't need your help, Süleyman" when he offers); in Episode 78, her reactions to Süleyman when he is trying to win her back with poetic language and compliments (She's been so hurt, she often cannot look him in the eye and she looks down and away as he speaks; she is unsure if she can trust his words; does he mean the sentiments this time or is he going to turn away again to someone else?); in Episode 91, when she's invited to see the model of the mosque and she asks to change its building location (her joy in seeing that the mosque is taking shape, and with Ebussuud Efendi's assent, Suleyman grasps why she wants to change the neighborhood and approves); and in Episode 93, at a time when it seems *everything* is going wrong for her (the haters are targeting her again, Shah Sultan's daughter Esmahan gets hurt in the bath and Mihrimah is suspected, Bayezid is missing and she's trying to track his whereabouts, and her 2 oldest sons are with Suleyman on war campaign, etc.), she visits Ebussuud and his wife and then goes and explains modestly and compassionately to the woman who will not sell her house why she needs the land to build the mosque complex in that particular neighborhood. In these quieter scenes and others, Ms. Uzerli shows her ability to inhabit Hürrem and brings out the emotional behaviors naturally present in a character under so much pressure.
But the effort takes its toll on her. The confluence of the character Hürrem's deep involvement as the target or initiator in harem plots, her husband falling out of love with her and directing his passion to another "favorite," the stress of mothering five growing, inspiring children (and the pressure of Süleyman's expectations on her for instilling their education and proper behavior), and the actual attacks upon her both physically and emotionally from the dynastic family and their operatives leads to unrealistic levels of sorrow and trauma way beyond any character's psychological makeup to cope.
Ms. Uzerli, who "becomes Hürrem," experiences it all as she emotes Hürrem's fervent, passionate responses. No wonder Ms. Uzerli experienced "burnout" (and most likely symptoms of PTSD) performing Hürrem in 37 unusually stress-filled 90-minute episodes in Season 3. While enduring these overwhelming pressures as an actor, the resulting trauma experienced over and over can bring on basic survival instincts, fight or flight. Yes, it can happen suddenly. This is serious. After Episode 100, she had to leave the show and Istanbul for her own safety and seek a familiar and secure place to recover with medical care and expert mental health support. She had to return her hair to its natural color just to look in the mirror. She had to leave Hürrem and the scripted trauma behind and return to real Meryem. PTSD does not happen to the weak-minded or the cowardly; it is often encountered by the very dedicated, gifted, and brave-soldiers, paramedics, firefighters, and yes, actors-who are so focused on the effort at hand that they forget to monitor their mounting stress levels and emotional needs.
It's a lesson for creative teams of TV programs to stay connected to their cast members and monitor their psychological as well as their physical security. These roles draw strong actors who want to pursue professional challenges. However, if an actor as tough as Michael B. Jordan needed therapy after giving great energy to his emotional role in the movie Black Panther, the professional concern of producers for their cast recommends they maintain consistent communication, especially with lead actors playing characters exposed to unrelenting emotional trauma in long-running TV dramas.
The journey that started for Ms. Uzerli with the auditions in 2010 becomes the multiple dramatic and subtle layers she creates in her portrayal as Hürrem, the character who truly embodies the heart and soul of Magnificent Century. This requires commitment and challenging work with all her co-actors' collaboration, especially, of course, the superb Halit Ergenç as Sultan Süleyman Khan. She illuminates Hürrem's humanity to shine on the vital human needs embedded in Meral Okay's themes for the show: Deepest Love and devotion in marriage and nurturing family; complete loyalty and kindness held in friendship; fervent faith at the very core of leadership for both fairness and justice embedded in law; belief that kind humor and lightheartedness can help heal loneliness and bring peace; and, most of all, unwavering spiritual hope that the effort is still worth it in the face of great personal loss. And joined with all the efforts of the entire Magnificent Century cast and crew, Ms. Uzerli gives those needs universal meaning beyond language through this character, Hürrem Sultan. No wonder the show reaches millions of viewers and such a wide multicultural, multi-ethnic audience.
In April 2019, Meryem Uzerli gave a poignant interview to Muhammad Asad Ullah, published in the online Gulf Times. The author calls the interview: "a candid conversation where she granted permission and access to a rarely-before-seen side of herself, delving into her childhood memories including her first acting gig and shunning off rumours that surrounded her once and for all." I invite you to read the entire interview.
Here Ms. Uzerli answers the interviewer's question concerning her role of Hürrem: Interviewer: "Sometimes a single performance sets the standards and all subsequent performances pale in comparison no matter how hard one tries. Would you be able to outdo the Hürrem legacy?"
Meryem Uzerli: "Hürrem Sultan is of course, one of the strongest female characters in history. I am very grateful and proud that I had a chance to play such a powerful character - what a gift for an actress! In general, there's a boom in portrayal of strong female characters, which is great, but each character I played has its own strengths, weaknesses, differences. It would be boring to always embody the same dynamics. Sometimes there can be a lot of strength in a quiet character. I never compare my work. It all stands for itself and that's a good thing."
