Turkish TV icon Kivanc Tatlitug may be dubbed the Brad Pitt Of The Middle East, but the blonde actor is surprisingly grounded about his superlative looks.
Even the sight of dozens of frenzied Arab women calling out "Mohannad" (the name of his character in the hit drama Noor) when he arrived at the Mall Of The Emirates on Tuesday did not unhinge him.
"It sounds good when they compare Brad Pitt and me. It is also funny because all I want to say is that he [Pitt] is a totally different guy and I am a totally different guy. It is just that we are doing the same job as actor. The rest is destiny," says Tatlitug.
The actor was in Dubai as a part of a Turkish Airlines promotion and gave away free tickets to Istanbul through a raffle draw.
Visibly uncomfortable about being called just a handsome hunk, the Noor star points out that he wants his body of work to do the talking.
"I want to act till I die. I am the happiest in front of the camera and I come alive in front of it. As an actor, I want to do all kinds of roles — even if it is a serial killer, a lover or a head of the family," says Tatlitug.
After taking the Arab world by storm with his drama Noor, the 27-year-old actor is currently riding high on another TV series, Mirna wa Khalil, in which he plays the romantic lead, Halil.
"I feel incredibly lucky to get these sensitive roles. There are a lot of similarities and contrasts between Mohannad and Khalil. While Mohannad is a traditional guy who really wants to take care of his family, Halil is not very rich and has suffered a lot in his life.
"There are these differences but the common factor is that both are so much in love with their partners," says Tatlitug.
Rumour has it that his passionate portrayal as the loving husband Mohannad, has led to marital discord in many Arab homes.
"They need to understand that what I am doing as an actor is not real. Maybe they get impressed by the character I act. But they don't know anything about the real me."
