

Today we’d like to introduce you to Deniz Bulat.
Hi Deniz, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I am a multi-hyphenate artist working in theater and film, but primarily an actor. I was born and raised in Ankara, Turkey before I moved to NYC when I got accepted to NYU, but my relationship with the arts started long before that…
Growing up, I was lucky enough to attend a school with opportunities in arts; we all grew up being on stage in various ceremonies throughout our schooling. I remember a particular school ceremony where I got to be on the stage. My part was probably no longer than twenty seconds, but those twenty seconds determined the course of my life. After the ceremony, a lot of friends came up to congratulate me. I was truly surprised because to my ten-year-old mind, whatever I did on stage wasn’t a big deal. That acknowledgment made me realize that as an actor, I can make an impact on someone’s life in a small way. That idea of making someone feel something gave me a purpose, so I wanted to keep chasing that feeling.
Flash forward, I got into New York University Tisch Drama. The city introduced me to the acting business in the US and to so many of my favorite people to work with who inspire me today. I found my circle of artist friends who later became not only my best friends but also my go-to people professionally. Artists that I’ve met and artists that I look up to all have come together and made me a better person.
Ever since graduation, I got the opportunity to act in theater and short films also combined my acting training with production work. With everything I do, I aim to create meaningful work that brings artists together and have audiences have an experience beyond our daily life. Art is such an escape for me whether I am performing or spectating, and I aim to share that feeling.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’m sure a lot of people have talked about finding funding as independent artists, which I agree with. Another struggle I would like to mention is working in different environments. I have been fortunate enough to practice my business in multiple locations. While learning the arts scene in different parts of the world has been a great experience, it also has been a great challenge. Acting itself is the same no matter where you go, but the business side of the industry is so different depending on what city you are in. Whenever I work in a new environment, it ends up being a huge learning curve and a little bit scary at first. Whether it is the process of producing something, casting, networking or communicating with directors, different cities have different rules within the industry, and I found myself out of place quite often while trying to adapt to new environments.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
While I’m a theater and film actor, over the years, I got the opportunity to experience many other aspects of theater production and filmmaking. There have been two very important companies that I’ve been a part of: Et Alia Theater and Invisible Disco Productions. These two companies gave me a home base where I got to create meaningful work.
Et Alia Theater is a New York-based theater company founded and led by international women artists. Working alongside some of the most inspirational women: Ana Moioli, Giorgia Valenti, Maria Müller, and Luísa Galatti, has been an experience that I feel so thankful for. This company is full of talent, love, and welcoming energy that creates the safe environment that every artist dreams of to be able to practice their art. I feel very proud of our production of “This Is Me Eating____”. It is an immersive theater installation made of women bodies as they deal with their relationship to eating. It started as an online project at the height of the pandemic and brought so many of our audience around the world together. After receiving the City Artist Corps Grant, Et Alia Theater produced “This is Me Eating____” as an immersive, live theater performance. Directed by Debora Balardini, Associate Produced by Dave Morrissey Jr. and performed by all five members of Et Alia Theater; it was a dream come true. The exploration of such an unspoken yet impactful theme in an immersive and devised way was the epitome of the type of artist I want to be.
Invisible Disco Productions is an entertainment production company endeavoring to create work that values emerging artists and the ownership of their voices. It produced multiple works in different mediums including theater, short films, music videos, and podcasts. I’ve been a part of this company with some of my most valued collaborators: Amelia Annen, Lauren Montes, and Thea Throndson. I met Lauren Montes our freshman year and a few years later, she invited me to join this company that was just starting out at the time. Invisible Disco and its members created a supportive and creative platform for me; from this support, “Angel”, the first short film I ever wrote, was produced. When I wrote “Angel” I didn’t anticipate doing anything with it, but this supportive group of people encouraged me to actually make this film. Amelia Annen directed it, Thea Throndson produced it through Invisible Disco Productions, Lauren Montes and I acted in it along with some of our frequent collaborators: Miranda Kang, Zack Canonico, and Ryan Hudzik. In July 2022 at Istanbul Film Awards, “Angel” got recognition as Best Comedy Short Film and Best Actress in a Short Film. Later, it appeared as a finalist at Fotofilm 3rd International Short Film Festival. Seeing people appreciate the work we produced is the perfect example of my collaborators giving my work a chance before I ever did.
A few months ago, I worked on “Öte”, a feature film written and directed by Esra Saydam and Malik Isasis and produced by Eda Çarıkçı. I was working on set as a production manager, but also had the opportunity to act in some scenes. While we were shooting in Turkey, I got the chance to travel all over my home country and work with filmmakers that I admire. Over the years, I’ve really enjoyed production jobs. My work at Stonestreet Studios gave me that opportunity to experience the action that goes on behind and in front of the camera simultaneously. Learning the mechanics of how everything on a film set functions made me a better and more autonomous actor.
How do you think about luck?
The most important way luck has played a role in my life is meeting the right people, finding my collaborators and go-to people very quickly and naturally. Growing up, I was lucky enough to be surrounded by friends and family who gave me the encouragement to apply to acting schools and helped me give myself a chance. Later in college, I quickly learned that my classmates were and will be my primary collaborators for a very long time. I am so thankful that these primary collaborators are also my best friends. I consider myself lucky to be a part of a group of people who force each other to create work. Inevitably we all experience self-doubt as artists, but we never experience doubt towards each other. So I’ve been lucky to find these friends and my best collaborators very early on in my career.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.denizbulat.com
Image Credits
Personal photo image credit: This Is Me Eating___: Dir: Debora Balardini, Photographer: Gabriela Amerth Additional photos: Image 1: On set: Photographer: Matthew Szücs Image 2: This Is Me Eating___: Dir: Debora Balardini, Photographer: Gabriela Amerth Image 3: This Is Me Eating___: Dir: Debora Balardini, Photographer: Gabriela Amerth Image 4: Angel still: Dir. Amelia Annen, DoP: Benjy Berkowtiz Image 5: Angel still: Dir. Amelia Annen, DoP: Benjy Berkowtiz Image 6: Angel poster with laurels: Photographer: Esther Um Image 7: Enough About Love: Dir. Gary O. Bennett, DoP: Michael Munari Image 8: This Is Me Eating___: Dir: Debora Balardini, Photographer: Gabriela Amerth