The unforgettable artist will be buried in Zincirlikuyu Cemetery after the funeral prayer that will be performed at noon tomorrow at Barbaros Hayrettin Pasha Mosque.
Arsoy has built a career that has left his mark in the fields of production, music and sports into his acting life of more than half a century.
Throughout his career, Arsoy, who not only took part in front of the camera but also took part in production, producing films in different genres and taking initiatives to increase the visibility of Turkish cinema in the international arena, was engraved in memories as the "Golden Child" of Yeşilçam.
The artist, who was born in Kayseri on March 15, 1936, worked at Yeşilköy Airport while he was studying at Istanbul University Faculty of Economics. This is where his path crossed with cinema.
Arsoy, who attracted the attention of producer Fuat Rutkay and director Sırrı Gültekin, entered the cinema with the movie "Kara Günlerim" in 1957. Then he became widely known with the films "Kelepçe" and "Samanyolu".
The big breakthrough with "Milky Way"
One of the most important turning points in Arsoy's career was the 1959 movie "Milky Way". The artist, who shared the leading role with Belgin Doruk, became one of the most popular stars of Yeşilçam with this film.
In his interview with Anadolu Agency in 2022, the unforgettable artist, while explaining the unexpected success of Samanyolu, said that copies of the film were not sent back due to high demand in cinemas, and new copies were printed until the morning and delivered to other cities.
According to Arsoy, the film was an important turning point in strengthening the star system in Yeşilçam. His cinema partnership with Belgin Doruk turned into one of the most unforgettable partnerships of this period. The duo starred in 15 films together.
Arsoy, who described Doruk as "very well-intentioned and very disciplined", said that when they came to Doruk's house in the morning to go to the film set, they never waited for him at the door, and that the young actor was waiting for them with his bag in his hand.
Nickname "Golden Boy"
Göksel Arsoy became one of the most sought-after male actors in romantic films, especially in the 1960s. The artist, who took part in productions such as "Taş Bebek", "Bulunmaz Uşak" and "Şafak Bekçileri", became one of the symbolic names of the brightest periods of Yeşilçam's star system.
The nickname "Golden Boy" became synonymous with the artist over time. Arsoy wrote about his cinema adventure and memories in his autobiography titled "Golden Child", published in 2017.
The fact that the artist did not limit his cinema career only to acting was one of the features that differentiated him from other stars of Yeşilçam. Göksel Arsoy founded his own production company named Göksel Film in 1962 and produced 12 productions.
Among these productions, "Guardians of the Dawn", dated 1963, was a work in which Arsoy both produced and starred, and was considered among the early aviation films of Turkish cinema.
Arsoy, who has been interested in aviation since his childhood, stated that he thought this film was not only a cinema project for him, but also increased interest in the Turkish Air Force and the Air Force Academy.
The artist also brought up the idea of making action and adventure productions, believing that cinema should focus on different genres after romantic love films. He went to London with the idea of making a James Bond-like film in Türkiye and met with British cinema circles.
The quest to bring Turkish cinema to the Middle East
One of the remarkable initiatives in Arsoy's career was his attempt to implement the idea of co-production between Türkiye and Middle Eastern countries.
In his AA interview, the artist explained that his name was used as "Muhammed Göksel Arsoy" in an Arabic poster of one of his films, and after these works, he also received a co-production offer from Italy. A new film project, which would include actors from Italy, Türkiye and Lebanon, could not be realized due to the war that started in Lebanon.
Göksel Arsoy, on comparing the interest that Turkish TV series receive in the Middle East today with the cinema works of the past, stated that in order to be successful in international markets, it is necessary to investigate the expectations of the other party and develop projects accordingly.
He met Muhammad Ali in London
One of the extraordinary memories the artist had during his cinema career was his encounter with the world-famous boxer Muhammad Ali in London. Arsoy also told AA that when he learned that Muhammad Ali would be playing a match while he was in London to shoot a movie, he went to the hall where the famous athlete was training.
Stating that Muhammad Ali called him after he delivered a note introducing himself to the hall, Arsoy stated that he met the boxer and watched his match from the stands. According to Arsoy, Muhammad Ali invited him to the match before the match and provided him with a ticket.
Besides cinema, he was also interested in sports and music.
Göksel Arsoy continued her interest in sports since her youth. The artist, who is interested in professional tennis and athletics and also rides horses, was involved in many sports.
Arsoy, who also produced music in addition to his work in cinema, released 45-record records in 1967 and 1971.
The artist also took part in professional organizations. Arsoy, who was the President of the Cinema Actors Association between 1997 and 1999, carried out studies on the social and professional rights of actors.
Arsoy, who witnessed the changing periods of Turkish cinema in his career spanning many years, continued to share his cinema memories with young generations in the later years of his life.
The artist, who was deemed worthy of the "Lifetime Honor Award" at the 36th Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival in 1999, received the Istanbul Film Festival Cinema Honorary Award in 2019. It was deemed worthy of an award in the field of cinema in 2024 within the scope of the Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Awards.
