Hande Erçel (born 24 November 1993) is a Turkish actress, known for her work in television and films such as Güneşin Kızları (2015–16), Aşk Laftan Anlamaz (2016–17), Sen Çal Kapımı (2020–21) and Bambaşka Biri (2023–24). She made her film debut in the historical drama Intoxicated by Love (2024) which broke box-office records and starred in the Netflix romance Chasing the Wind (2025).
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Early life
She was born in 1993 in Bandırma, the daughter of Aylin (who died from cancer in 2019) and her father Kaya Erçel; she has an older sister, Gamze. She studied at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University in the Department of Traditional Turkish Arts. In 2012, she participated in a beauty pageant held in Azerbaijan, where she placed second.
Career
Between 2015 and 2016, she portrayed the character Selin Yılmaz Mertoğlu in the television series Güneşin Kızları, aired on Kanal D. Subsequently, from 2016 to 2017, she played the role of Hayat Uzun in the series Aşk Laftan Anlamaz, broadcast on Show TV. Her performance in this series earned her the Best Female Comedy Actress award at the Golden Butterfly Awards.
In 2019, she appeared as Müjde Akay in the series Halka on TRT 1 and as Azize Aksu Günay in the series Azize on Kanal D. From 2020 to 2021, she portrayed Eda Yıldız in the series Sen Çal Kapımı, aired on Fox. From 2023 to 2024, she played Leyla Gediz in the series Bambaşka Biri, also broadcast on Fox.
Endorsement
Erçel was the face of personal care brand L'Oréal Turkey and the oral care brand Signal. In 2017, she was selected as the face of DeFacto's 2017-2018 Fall collection campaign called "Velvet". In 2020, she was named global ambassador for clothing brand Nocturne and headlined multiple campaigns for the brand. In 2025, after years of collaborating, the brand launched a collection designed by Erçel named "Inspired By Her". In December 2021, Erçel was selected as the newest face of renowned Turkish jewelry brand Atasay Jewellery.
In May 2022, Disney+ picked her as its new ambassador. In August 2023, she become the face of Saudi perfume house Laverne's "Miss Laverne". In that year, she was also named the new face of deodorant brand Emotion and become the newest ambassador for ice cream brand Magnum, attending the Cannes Film Festival as the advertising model of the brand. In April 2025, Italian luxury jewelry brand Pomellato announced Erçel as its new global brand ambassador.
Influence
Erçel is among the highest-paid actresses in Turkey and is the most-followed Turkish actress on Instagram. She was the only Turkish actress to be featured on IMDb's World's Most Beautiful Actresses list. Fillgab, a global website, ranked her first on its "10 Most Beautiful Muslim Women in The World" list. Erçel is the first and only Turkish actor to appear on the cover of Marie Claire Spain, The Hollywood Magazine and Grazia. The Hollywood Magazine called her "one of the most influential public figures in Turkey and the wider region" and "producers are calling her “the next Penélope Cruz meets Zendaya” — a rare blend of grace, cultural depth, and magnetic screen presence." She appeared on other magazines such as Vogue Turkey, Vogue Arabia, Elle Turkey, HELLO Turkey, Harper Bazaar Turkey and InStyle Turkey to promote various brands.
Personal Life
From late 2015 to May 2017, Erçel was in a private relationship with Ekin Mert Daymaz. Later that same year, she briefly dated Mehmet Dinçerler before starting a relationship with Turkish singer Murat Dalkılıç in late 2017; they separated on good terms and without explanation in 2020.
Erçel then was in a relationship with her co-star from Sen Çal Kapımı, Kerem Bürsin, after meeting on set the same year. After their split up in 2022, Erçel and a co-star from Halka, Kaan Yildirim, started a private relationship with which ended the same year without clear reason.
A year later, Erçel and Hakan Sabanci publicly dated, with whom she attended major events and traveled frequently. In August 2025, they reportedly broke up without giving the exact reason, causing many rumors to arise.