Cemo is a young character forced to grow up with the tragic events within his family. How did you approach this sudden journey into maturity? While portraying Cemo’s struggle with this burden and his inner turmoil, was there anything in real life, a story you experienced or witnessed, that inspired you?
Kaan Mirac Sezen: Following a family tragedy, Cemo had to adapt to circumstances his father had, in a way, prepared him for. He could foresee that this day would come, and he feared it. But finally facing these events, he realized he had to become much stronger to protect his family. I wanted to portray Cemo from a place where he blames himself and feels inadequate, no matter what he does. He’s strong, but in this way: he’s painfully aware of his perceived powerlessness, feeling that the impact he has on his family’s situation is insufficient, which causes him deep inner pain and he hides all traces of this pain from his family. His inner conflict growing like roots within him, contrary to the outward strength he projects. This internal struggle is a constant battle, and it grows within him. In short, that’s how I approached the character. In real life, I know of a few families who have been in similarly difficult situations. Even though they haven’t suffered family losses, I’ve witnessed that some were as unprotected or financially vulnerable as Cemo. Their experiences have, at times, inspired me, and I hope I’ve managed to reflect the authenticity of his character.
The siblings lose their parents suddenly and traumatically. How do you think this loss affects Cemo and Zeliha? What kind of responsibility does it require to support their younger siblings while going through their own trauma?
Kaan Mirac Sezen: We have two very young siblings. As their older brother and sister, one of our biggest responsibilities is to shield them from feeling the pain of losing our parents. Because of this, we don’t really have the time to process our own grief. We have to protect our youngest sibling from the awareness of such a heavy loss at such a young age. That’s why losing our parents has increased our burden as the older ones. The younger children will not feel safe without their mother and father, so we must also create a sense of security for them, and to do this, we have to act as if nothing has happened and match their energy and innocent unawareness. Carrying such a huge pain while doing this is incredibly difficult, and at times, we feel we can’t handle it. But in the end, I believe that, as siblings left without anyone else, we can always overcome it together.
This journey to İstanbul represents a theme of survival and struggle for each character. Did anything inspire you while portraying your character’s determination to hold on to life?
Kaan Mirac Sezen: The characters Guts from Berserk, Izuku Midoriya from My Hero Academia, and Sung Jin-Woo from Solo Leveling were a source of inspiration for me in bringing Cemo from abstraction to something solid in my own mind.
Kaan Mirac Sezen: ”As for love, Cemo feels emotions very intensely, so he’s likely to experience love on a grand scale too.“
The fire of revenge and Cemo’s belief in honesty form the core conflict in his individual story. How does being torn between love and revenge create psychological pressure? How did you connect with your character’s difficult choices?
Kaan Mirac Sezen: Cemo is a child raised with strong virtues and morals. Growing up with four sisters has given him a protective and gentle nature. He’s not driven by revenge for the pain inflicted on him personally, but rather by a desire to avenge those who put his family in this position. At the same time, his dedication to his family’s needs always comes first, which means he won’t easily compromise his honesty, though his pursuit of revenge may be inevitable (at least within himself). As for love, Cemo feels emotions very intensely, so he’s likely to experience love on a grand scale too. While pursuing revenge, the strength of this feeling could trap him in an inner conflict, sparking anger toward himself. If we consider revenge as anger and love as compassion, we might witness an internal turmoil where these emotions intertwine.
There’s a tension between Cemo’s desire for revenge and his commitment to honesty. How does this internal conflict affect his personal growth? Which defines Cemo more, pursuit of revenge or honesty?
Kaan Mirac Sezen: Cemo is constantly at war with himself. He faces the pressure of not being able to fully support his family, the extra effort needed to adapt to changing life circumstances, the struggle against hunger and thirst, and the search for a roof over their heads, all of which he tries to handle alongside his older sister. At this stage, he isn’t in a position to even think about revenge, but once he stabilizes his family’s situation and overcomes these intense hardships, he is a character who can likely use these experiences as fuel. I’m certain he won’t hesitate to make others feel the pain he’s endured. For now, I would say honesty defines Cemo more, as revenge may come to the forefront later. His honesty and sincerity toward his family are the things defining him at this point.
Cemo takes on a major responsibility for his family. How does this strong bond with his siblings place him in a leadership role? What aspects did you focus on while portraying his loyalty and leadership?
Kaan Mirac Sezen: Cemo is actually more of a dedicated soldier than a leader. He’s his sister’s loyal soldier. I envisioned the family as a beehive, fitting, since they’re actually beekeepers in the storyline. After the parents’ death, Azize becomes the queen bee, while I represent the grown, mature guard bee. My sole purpose is to serve her needs as best as I can and support my family’s survival and well-being. However, the natural, human reactions I have to the situations we face may eventually start to pull me away from this mindset.
This story emphasizes the strength of family bonds and the importance of supporting one another. From your character’s perspective, what do you think about the significance of family ties? How does this loyalty motivate your character?
Kaan Mirac Sezen: The fear of losing the bonds of love we have is actually one of my character’s biggest motivations. Even if there’s no way to return to the happy times of the past, longing for those days and the effort to bring back that happiness is crucial for Cemo.
This exclusive interview with Kaan Mirac Sezen was featured in Episode Magazine’s DICM 2024 issue.
