MIAMI -Turkish dramas have become a television phenomenon across Latin America, turning actors into international stars and helping reshape primetime programming from Mexico to Argentina. Few performers embody that global reach more than Can Yaman, who now hopes speaking directly to Hispanic audiences will be the next chapter of his career.
As El Turco premiered Tuesday on Telemundo, the Turkish actor sat down for an interview in Spanish with this reporter, a language he learned in just two years after relocating to Spain for a television project. The multilingual star said the effort was about much more than mastering another language.
"I learned Spanish two years ago," Yaman said. "I learned it in one year so I could film in Spain."
The actor moved to Madrid while shooting El laberinto de las mariposas, renting a home there because he fell in love with the city. Since then, he says, every interview has helped him become more comfortable speaking Spanish.
"I think I've improved a lot," he said with a smile. "Every time I gave interviews in Spain, I got better."
That decision also brought him closer to millions of viewers who have followed Turkish productions for years.
"It opened the door to all the Hispanic countries," he said. "I love being able to communicate with them."
The timing couldn't be better. For more than a decade, Turkish dramas, known across Latin America as telenovelas turcas, have become one of the region's biggest television exports. Yaman was already one of the genre's biggest international stars thanks to romantic comedies including Erkenci Kuş (Daydreamer) and Dolunay (Full Moon). In recent years, however, he has deliberately expanded beyond the roles that first made him famous.
El Turco, which premiered on Telemundo on July 7, represents one of his most ambitious international productions to date. Inspired by the novel by Orhan Yeniaras, the historical drama follows Ottoman Janissary Hasan Balaban after the failed Siege of Vienna in 1683. Wounded and condemned to death, he escapes and finds refuge in the Italian village of Moena, where he unexpectedly becomes its protector.
The series was filmed in English, with characters also speaking Turkish, making the Spanish-language dubbing a necessity for television audiences.
"I saw part of the dubbed version in the trailers," Yaman said. "It's strange to hear yourself in another language, but it's important for the Hispanic audience."
Looking back, the actor admits it is almost surreal to think about how long ago he filmed the series.
"We shot El Turco three or four years ago," he recalled. "After that I also made Sandokan."
That production, one of Italy's most anticipated television series, pushed him even further into physically demanding action roles.
"I always dreamed of playing these kinds of characters," he said. "Sword fighting, horseback riding, all those physical skills."
But fulfilling that dream came with sacrifices.
"I also realized how demanding these roles are," he admitted. "I've had many injuries. Every time I make this kind of series, I have to live like an athlete."
After years of action-heavy productions, Yaman says his next project in Italy will offer a change of pace.
"I'm going to do a comedy so I can rest a little," he said, laughing before joking that perhaps he should play "someone who's a little overweight" so he can finally eat whatever he wants.
Despite his growing popularity in the United States through Telemundo, Yaman says he is not focused solely on Hollywood.
"I've always dreamed of being a citizen of the world," he explained.
Raised in Istanbul, where he attended an Italian high school before building a career that now spans multiple countries and languages, Yaman said he remains eager to continue exploring new cultures. He revealed that he has been encouraged to learn Portuguese for projects in Brazil and has also received offers from Russia.
"I'm not obsessed with coming to U.S.," he said. "Of course I'd love to work here, but I'd also love to live in Brazil, Argentina or Russia. I like discovering the world."
For now, that journey continues in Spanish, a language that has allowed one of Turkey's biggest television stars to connect directly with the audience that helped make Turkish dramas a cultural phenomenon throughout Latin America.
