Behind the mansion’s glittering surface lies its true heart, the kitchen. This is where Haroula, Styliani, and Makis witness all the family’s secrets while living out their own dreams, fears, and struggles. Alina Kotsovoulou, Adrianna Andreovitch, and Giorgos Triantafillidis shared their insights into these characters and the complex world they inhabit in Na M’Agapas (Love Me).
Read our exclusive interviews with the cast and director of Love Me here.
Adrianna Andreovitch: The character of Canan touched me deeply because she’s a poor woman, and I understand her background and struggles very well. She’s trying to survive among the rich, the good, and the bad. There are so many “Canans” both in Türkiye and Greece. I feel very close to her, because I come from northern Greece, very close to the Turkish border. So her conditions of living feel very familiar to me. What I also love about her is that she’s a woman who loves her husband (Bünyamin), takes care of him, and tries to guide him.
Alina Kotsovoulou: Haroula is the character most deeply rooted in the mansion’s past. As Orfeas’s milk mother, she has a very special and close bond with the family. According to the script, she’s the only one in the kitchen who speaks her mind and dares to object when needed. While the family makes irrational or harmful decisions, she tries to keep the balance within the household. In a world where the young are chasing status, money, and power, Haroula’s only wish is for the family’s well-being, and for traditions and balance to remain intact. I watched a few episodes of the original series and was captivated. But I stopped watching because I didn’t want to be influenced. I wanted to create my character from scratch instead of imitating.
Giorgos Triantafillidis: What drew me most to this role is the classic, but always accurate, dynamic between the rich and the poor. The world of those working for the wealthy is almost an archetype. As George Orwell wrote in Animal Farm: “Some animals are more equal than others.” That’s exactly what it is like in this household. The servants, oppressed by the rich, create their own hierarchy and oppress each other. No matter what you do to please the boss, it’s never enough. I don’t see Bünyamin as cunning or opportunistic. He’s more of a naïve character, yet fully aware of everything he does. He’s someone who says, “I want to help you, I want to be by your side.” Even though I don’t have much in common with him, I can understand him very well.
From Istanbul to Athens: Lasting Connections
At the end of our talk, the actors shared their warm and personal ties to Türkiye. We set the series aside and began chatting about İstanbul, Haydarpaşa, old neighborhoods, and even mutual friends. All of them expressed that their roots and connections to the East, to Anatolia, are much stronger than those to the West. These moments showed once again why the stories of the two shores are so closely linked.
Giorgos Triantafillidis: My father was born and raised in İstanbul, and he is now buried at the Orthodox Cemetery in Şişli. Our family came from Haydarpaşa. I know Istanbul well, and I love it so much.
Adrianna Andreovitch: My father’s roots are in Edirne. I know the area very well. Cem Yiğit Üzümoğlu is a close friend of ours and a wonderful actor. It’s a real misfortune that he couldn’t continue his theater play here.
