Can Yaman: I pulled a Matthew McConaughey—I had to step out of my comfort zone and reject romantic comedies.

He caused a sensation with his romantic soap operas, a past he now seeks to escape. Can Yaman filmed El Turco, which premiered on Movistar Plus+ in January, and is currently shooting The Labyrinth of the Butterflies in Spain, speaking almost perfect Spanish.

QUESTION: What have you learned about yourself during the filming of El Turco?

ANSWER: My limits. It was a total challenge physically, emotionally, and regarding the conditions in the country. I moved to Italy to live like a nomad, without a fixed base, and for the series, I had to go to another country—Hungary—and live there alone.

Q: What was the experience like?

Can Yaman: It was incredibly cold, and the schedule and mentality were different. We had to shoot one week in the morning and the next at night, so I would wake up at two in the morning to train, and have breakfast at three.

Q: Are the fight scenes tough?

Can Yaman:  There were days when we only shot action, and the director would say: “From the top.” You are moving the whole time, which is physically exhausting. You had to endure the blows and the cold. And it was my first job entirely in English.

Q: It’s also a very intense drama.

Can Yaman: It’s six episodes, so they packed everything in tightly. We didn't have any "empty" sequences. There are many scenes where I lose someone dear, a friend or a child, so it wears you down. When you cry for 10 hours for a scene, it’s very exhausting. So, after filming this series, I thought I could do anything as an actor.

Q: You are filming a new series in Spain and have learned some curse words. What is your favorite expression?

Can Yaman: Me ruedo encima.

Q: Excuse me? "Me ruedo encima" [I roll on myself]?

Can Yaman: You don't know it? It’s like “Me meo encima” [I’m peeing myself], but when the director has to shoot in a big rush (rodar), we say: “Me ruedo encima.” I love it. It’s not a curse word, but it’s an inside joke we have on set.

Q: Harvey Keitel claims that an actor is always naked on screen, even if they are dressed.

Can Yaman: To act, I need to get close to the character and think about what Can Yaman would really do if he were him. If I had grown up with the same dynamics, how would I have reacted? I try to find things that resemble my life. You can take an emotion and interpret it in 1,000 different ways, but you have to choose the right version.

Q: And how do you choose it?

Can Yaman: You have to communicate to see what the director, the screenwriter, and the production company want. I don’t lock myself into one method or get stubborn about something. When I arrive on set, I do one thing, and if the director doesn't like it, I try to understand what they want. I am prepared for many versions. You have to be multifaceted.

Q: How do you work with your fellow cast members?

Can Yaman: You have to listen to how other actors interpret their roles. That also gives you the ability to improvise and modify immediately depending on the director's request. It is important to be open and surrender.

Q: Many actresses have criticized only being valued for their looks. How does a man experience it when he lands the 'sex symbol' role?

Can Yaman: When you do a lot of romantic comedies and soap operas, people assign you the same role. That’s why I decided drastically to leave Turkey and settle in Italy. I know other languages and I wanted to test myself with other genres. It wasn't an easy decision because production companies always offer you the same things. So you have to wait and endure.

Q: Is it hard to do that?

Can Yaman: I remember an interview with actor Matthew McConaughey, who also filmed many romantic comedies and said he spent a whole year turning down those roles. One day he got a $14 million offer and he still said no. That’s how he started doing other magical things in his career. It is important to refuse and have the courage to get out of that comfort zone. I have done the same.

Q: You have a legion of fans. Have you ever felt intimidated by so many admirers?

Can Yaman: Never. I am Turkish and I am a warrior.

Q: In your roles, you embody the modern leading man who is strong but also sensitive. What is the "new masculinity" like for you?

Can Yaman: Yes, I don't know if it's a coincidence or if production companies specifically want to see me with that human side. In my characters, I have a trait that women also like. We try to create heroes that appeal to all audiences: children, men, and women of all ages. For me, it is about showing the human side of a hero, his fragility and his vulnerability. Making him more human is important to me.

Q: It is interesting to see the character's fragility.

Can Yaman: As an actor, it gives me the opportunity to interpret more deeply and show things in a more three-dimensional way. When a character evolves, I like it very much, and series give me that opportunity. If it were a movie, you have two hours to show everything. But series allow you as an actor to delve into the character. I like that a lot—when the character starts one way and ends up being something else.

Q: From which failure have you learned the most throughout your career?

Can Yaman: I adore and love mistakes and failures. If someone doesn't experience failure, they don't learn. It means they haven't lived or grown. So failures are very important in a person's life. You have to be smart to correct them and learn from them.

Q: What was the hardest moment of your life?

Can Yaman: Leaving Turkey and starting to live in Italy was the most drastic decision of my life because I completely changed course. So getting used to things has become my thing. Now I feel like I can adapt to anything and that gives me a lot of freedom, but in the beginning, it was suffering.

Q: What is the most impertinent question you have been asked? And what did you answer?

A: They ask me impertinent things all the time. When you answer, you become vulnerable because your words can be twisted and taken out of context.

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