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Leyla Lydia Tuğutlu
"The woman who was waiting was
standing in front of me "
Returning to the screen with the television series "Uyanış: Büyük Selçuklu" (Awakening: The Great Seljuk), Leyla Lydia Tuğutlu said : "I love trying the new and the difficult. I have always wanted a strong, wild and masculine character. When They called Elçin, the woman I was waiting for was standing in front of me ”, he says.
Leyla Lydia Tuğutlu is one of the most sought after names of the new generation for her beauty, elegance and love for her work. Tuğutlu, who grew up mixing two cultures as the daughter of a Turkish father and a German mother, has always stood in front of us as a model, presenter and actress, after being selected first in the Miss Turkey 2008 Beauty Pageant. She thinks her perfectionist side , which you once considered a problem, has positive effects on what you do.
And by saying what you can do better without having to deal with someone else's life, through your path, you go over everything you thought you couldn't achieve.
Now, we are here with a new project. As Elçin in the TV series “Uyanış: Büyük Selçuklu”, the first episode of which will air on the TRT 1 screen on Monday, September 28. We talk about her new project with the actress who is very happy to play Elçin, a strong, wild and masculine character.
The series "Uyanış: Büyük Selçuklu" deals with a historical period. How did the project, your character Elçin, attract you?
The spirit, weight and wardrobe of period works carry a much greater responsibility than modern works. When the project arrived, it had a long history and research file. I loved the script. Also, the Seljuk period, which has not been recorded in television series before, catches my attention. Elçin is a character that I never played, never appeared before. We enter the preparation process; we train in horsemanship and various weapons. This preparation made me very excited. I love trying the new and difficult. I wanted a strong, wild and masculine character that I always wanted to play. For that reason I was very happy when they called me about Elçin, the woman I was waiting for was standing in front of me. Elçin is a fearless, brave, intelligent, and proud woman who can die for what she believes in and at the same time is noble, charming, and equipped as a descendant of a dynasty.
Like you said, your character is a strong woman. So when you look at the experiences of women today, can you draw similarities between the difficulties they face?
In a patriarchal society, Elçin remains alone under the administration of his father and brother. She has a great responsibility, such as imposing herself and keeping the tribe together. In this sense, we can compare it with the women of today. In many areas of the world, women have yet to be more warrior. Women try to stay strong despite physical and psychological pressure. They also have to fight for their rights and freedoms. Certainly our responsibilities are more than apparent.
Where and who would you like to be if you had the opportunity to live in a historical period?
There are so many times I want to witness… I think that at the beginning of new times in the world, a time of great leaps, innovations and inventions could be interesting. For example the Renaissance.
"I am lucky and hardworking"
In your adventure that you started with the conservatory, you are in front of us in different areas when you say presenter, modeling, acting. Do you consider yourself "lucky"?
My family always supports me and believe me that it is a powerful factor in what I can do. I had the opportunity to see and test different areas. I am lucky and hardworking. Human luck allows some situations to develop more easily, but it is difficult to maintain that opportunity without working hard. One of the most important values that my family gives me is discipline. I always take care to be disciplined while doing my job.
You have a calm nature. How do you manage to stay that way in a period when stressful, angry, and bellicose people are becoming more and more common? How do you preserve your inner peace?
Sometimes I feel angry, pessimistic and hopeless, especially with the recent effect of the pandemic. But somehow I manage to stay calm and stay positive. Regardless, you need to have confidence in life that everything will get better. Being alone and walking away is good for me. I can escape to a quiet place on my days off. Sometimes I stay away from social media. I think setting short periods for social media is a good start to calm down. We don't realize it, but if you are trying to create a world for others and you are moving away from your truth, this is a serious problem. Psychologically, we are all tired and tense during this pandemic process and negative information is not good for the human psyche.
"I learned to say no"
It is said that people know themselves better after 30 years and make discoveries. What did you feel after 30?
I don't know if it's because it's something we always hear about, but I can say that my age is good for me. Experiencing the pandemic in the year I turn 30 can also have an effect. I have never been outgoing, identifying with physical characteristics, what I do or what I have. As the days of the pandemic showed me once again, it was a great relief to me. We have seen again what is most important in life. This period was a discovery for me. It's like learning to be more at peace with myself and being able to say no. Loving and accepting the things that I used to call my dislikes as they are ... Now I try to live more consciously.
"I don't compete with anyone else"
In an interview you said that you are a perfectionist and a problem person. Is this the case today?
Being a perfectionist used to be a side of me that viewed myself negatively, now I see its positive effects in the things I do. My problem with myself meant that I was fighting with myself. I am not in a race with another person while doing one thing. Life, the path of another person, does not interest me. I used to say what can I do better, how can I be a better person. I go over the things I said that I couldn't succeed.
These days when we start to take a lot of things for granted, there is something that says "I can never understand this, how can it be?"
There are many problems that I react to. People who feed on wars, racism, enmity, violence and hatred, and defend them without understanding ... We only have one world. There is no other place we can go. And we keep destroying everything without even thinking for a moment. However, from what have things without a future been gained? I guess I'll never understand the selfish and insatiable side of man.
"I did not make an effort for beauty"
What is your reward for being beautiful as the winner of Miss Turkey 2008?
I think it is just a gift from God unless it is underlined to be beautiful. I made no effort for beauty. I can be something for everyone, but when I look at myself, I see a mature and conscious woman, and I am grateful for my conscience. Of course, adjectives make people happy. Who does not want to be loved and admired. Beautiful person means real person to me. The person I can see inside is not fake, exaggerated or ostentatious. For me, the loving person who can be what he really feels is "beautiful".
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