As Episode Magazine, we spoke with Olgu Baran Kubilay who plays Eşref on Disney+ original We’ll Be Fine.
One of the most balanced yet deeply feeling characters in We’ll Be Fine: Eşref. We sat down with Olgu Baran Kubilay to talk about this character who is nourished by love and protects through distance, how he manages to exist without getting lost in the middle of relationships, when he chooses to step back, and what he ultimately stands for.
Your character touches the story from a very important place. When you first read it, how did you define him?
Eşref is someone who, above all, carries a great love for his wife Ekin. Not just for her, he’s actually a very loving person in general. In the face of such a stormy, “toxic” love story that reaches a point where people can hurt each other, I thought he needed to have an understanding side nourished by that love.
In this story, there’s a powerful emotional world revolving around Lal and Aktan’s relationship. Where does your character stand within that relationship?
Eşref is someone who believes people need to experience and see things for themselves. That’s why he’s more balanced. There are many moments where he keeps a distance, but he’s very sincere. No matter what, Eşref wants to stay outside of that relationship, but enough to be able to protect Ekin. As Ekin, even at the cost of conflicting with herself both materially and emotionally, steps into the relationship to protect Lal, Eşref steps back. Because he also loves Lal very much.
What was it like working on set with the leads, Mert Ramazan Demir and Miray Daner? How did your energy reflect on the scenes?
I had the chance to work with Mert before on an international project. We’ve liked each other ever since. On this set, from the very first reading, we had great communication, in fact, we were a bit sad that we didn’t have more scenes together. I met Miray for the first time on this set. I admired her friendship, her energy, her discipline, and her desire to work. She’s wonderful.
Neslihan Yeşilyurt has a very strong visual language as a director. How did working with her affect you as an actor?
Neslihan is a director who has very clear ideas in her mind, but she always keeps the table open, she’s very willing to listen to and discuss what’s brought in. Creating a set environment where ideas can be freely expressed and evaluated made me feel very comfortable as an actor.
What would you like viewers to talk about most regarding your character? What feeling do you hope they leave with?
Maybe it’s not necessary to interfere with everything. 🙂 Everyone can have their own very valid ideas and reasons. When people or friends look to us for advice or help, perhaps what matters is being able to stand by them without intervening too much, without overriding their emotions.
In this story, everyone is somewhat chasing their own emotions. When your character looks at Lal and Aktan’s relationship from the outside, what do you think puts them in the most difficult position?
The residue of their pasts, their fractures, wounds, and their inability to communicate openly because of all the “what ifs” they project from the present into an uncertain future.
The relationships in the series are very layered, love, friendship, resentment, all intertwined. Which of these emotions does your character feel closest to?
Eşref is someone who wouldn’t want either Lal or Aktan to be hurt. Rather than taking the side of a person or a specific emotion, he seeks balance.
Sometimes supporting characters touch the story from a very critical place. How do you see your character’s role in this story, someone who creates balance, or someone who triggers events?
As I said, Eşref seeks balance.
Lastly, I’m curious about your career: when you look back on your acting journey, do you remember a moment that transformed you the most or made you say, “I’m so glad I do this”?
The play Old Fools, which İdil Sivritepe and I have been performing for the past four seasons. İdil is my friend, my companion. We’ve built an incredible harmony on stage, and we’re both among the people who want the best for each other in life. We strive to push each other further, both as individuals and in our careers. That kind of connection is very rare. That’s why this play will always hold a very important place in my career.
