Some people’s dreams are bigger than their lives. But this journey is not a beginning or a reference to the past. It is a state of motion. Just as some journeys have no destination. Some people simply transform and build a world of their own.

Psychologically, time can be divided into two equal parts: the past and the future. Yet the only thing you truly have is the present moment. You cannot find yourself in the traces of the past or the deep blue of the future, only in the now. This is precisely the universe Hande Erçel approaches us from. She understands that life is a balance of action and reaction, and she treats herself with compassion. This is the first thing you notice when you step into Hande Erçel’s world, a world shaped by discoveries within her own reality. An inner world that is constantly in motion, at the center of visibility yet entirely her own. Within a story that appears clear from the outside, other stories quietly gather in layers. Hande has never shaped her dreams according to the limits of the life she lived. Instead, she chose to become someone capable of carrying them. Perhaps this is still what moves her forward today: not the desire to arrive somewhere, but a continuously evolving sense of self.

This story carries traces of belonging rather than success, of selfhood rather than visibility, of vulnerability rather than power. Hande Erçel reminds us how delicate the balance is between hearing the voices of others and not losing your own. Because life treats you the way you treat yourself. I think we are only as strong as our ability to stay true to ourselves, and only as determined as our ability to hear our own voice. No success is accidental. As every era creates its own icons, the deepest journey is continuing to hear your own voice where the world tries to convince you who you are. We’re in Hande Erçel’s iconic universe. A world that stretches from the past into the future, yet knows the value of the present moment.

DUYGU How do people whose dreams are bigger than their lives manage to turn those dreams into their reality?

HANDE My dreams were always bigger than the life I was living. So instead of shrinking them, I chose to become someone capable of carrying them. Dreaming happens in an instant, but carrying a dream requires effort and patience.

DUYGU How do you protect Hande from Hande Erçel? Who gets to know the real you?

HANDE Protecting Hande from Hande Erçel is a matter of balance for me. There is a fine line between being visible and remaining your own person. People watch you, talk about you, write a story about you… But you are never entirely present in that story. I can only share my true self within a very small circle of people I trust.

“Protecting Hande from Hande Erçel is a matter of balance for me. There is a fine line between being visible and remaining your own person. People watch you, talk about you, write a story about you… But you are never entirely present in that story.” -Hande Erçel

*Hande* wears a dress by Blumarine, and heels by Mugler, Beymen.

DUYGU Take us back to the moment you realized acting would become your profession.

HANDE I could say I knew acting would become my profession from the moment I first dreamed of it. There was no big “this is it” moment. It was more a curiosity that settled in me when I was young and never faded. Over the years, that curiosity became a desire, and then a determination. I never suddenly decided, “This is my profession.” I simply brought to life, step by step, something that had always been within me.

DUYGU Where is this journey taking you?

HANDE I no longer see this journey as a destination. It feels more like a constantly evolving state of identity. With every project, every story, every encounter, I learn something new about myself. And that process of learning is what truly keeps me moving forward.

DUYGU What makes your heart race when you start reading a new script?

HANDE What excites me most in a new script is not perfect characters, but vulnerable and conflicted people shaped by their flaws and inner struggles. I’m more drawn to stories that leave things unfinished, leave things unsaid, and resist easy answers.

DUYGU How do the characters you meet through each new project leave their mark on Hande’s personal journey?

HANDE Every character I play stays with me. Sometimes it’s a look, sometimes a sentence… Without realizing it, they become a part of me. That’s why I don’t think I’ve ever truly left any of them behind.

DUYGU How important is self-expression in your reality?

HANDE Expressing myself is an essential need for me. When I can’t express my emotions, they build up inside and become heavier over time. Maybe that’s why I often communicate my feelings through drawing and painting; for me, art is often not a choice but a necessity.

*Hande* wears a dress by GENERATION78, and heels by Paris Texas, Beymen.

DUYGU How much space do you give to the thoughts of others?

HANDE I always try to make space for other people’s thoughts; different perspectives nourish me. But over time, I learned that there is a very fine line between hearing everyone’s voice and losing your own among them. It took me years to find that balance.

DUYGU Have you kept the promises you made to your younger self?

HANDE I’ve kept every promise I made to myself as a child. But that little Hande is still with me, and I continue to make new promises to her.

DUYGU How do you define success?

HANDE My understanding of success has changed over the years. It used to be something more visible, more measurable. Now it feels much more internal; those moments when I am at peace with myself and truly satisfied with the work I do. Those are the things that define success for me.

DUYGU What does passion mean to you?

HANDE Passion is the thing you cannot give up. It challenges you, exhausts you, yet always calls you back. It is the place where reason falls silent and your heart takes the lead.

DUYGU Does the idea of power influence your decisions?

HANDE Power has never been a goal for me. But the more visible I became, the more I realized that visibility creates influence, and influence comes with responsibility. I always take my steps with that responsibility in mind.

DUYGU What role does inspiration play in your career?

HANDE I don’t find inspiration, it finds me within the flow of life. And most often, it arrives exactly when I need it. Sometimes in a dream, sometimes on a walk, and sometimes in my most vulnerable moments.

DUYGU You are in a position where you inspire others. What effect does that have on you?

HANDE Being an inspiration to others is incredibly meaningful, but it is also a delicate responsibility. People do not only see success; they see sincerity as well. That is why staying true to myself becomes more important with each passing day.

DUYGU Identity is not only about being an individual, but also about belonging. From that perspective, how much do you think you have fulfilled your potential?

HANDE I now understand much more clearly that identity is shaped not only by the question “Who am I?” but also by “Where do I feel I belong?” Self-realization is not a finished goal for me, but an ongoing journey. Today, I feel much closer to myself because I can carry my flaws, contradictions, strengths, and vulnerabilities together.

DUYGU As an artist and a woman, under what circumstances do you feel most connected to your true self?

HANDE As an artist and a woman, I feel most connected to myself in moments of solitude. When I step away from the noise, the expectations, and what everyone wants to see in me… There is a simpler, more authentic version of myself there. That space is incredibly precious to me, because everything begins there.

“Expressing myself is an essential need for me. When I can’t express my emotions, they build up inside and become heavier over time.” -Hande Erçel

*Hande* wears the ICON Baby Tee from the BASED ISTANBUL Merch collection a skirt by Balenciaga Boutique, and heels by Tory Burch, Beymen.

DUYGU How do you preserve your originality in a world where everything seems to resemble everything else?

HANDE I don’t try to do anything extra to stay original in a world where everything looks alike; I simply try not to drift away from myself. The moment you start trying to be like someone else, you begin to lose your own story. For me, originality begins with staying true to yourself.

DUYGU Are you afraid of making mistakes?

HANDE I’m not afraid of making mistakes, because mistakes are often not shortcomings but a form of awareness. That is where I have grown the most. What is truly difficult is ignoring that awareness and remaining stuck in the same mistake. For me, being able to move forward is what matters most.

DUYGU What have you learned about yourself through vulnerability?

HANDE In a world that places so much value on appearing strong, making peace with my vulnerability was a turning point for me. I realized that what I had seen as weakness for years was actually courage itself. You cannot build a genuine connection without opening your heart and taking risks. Today, I learn the most about myself in the moments when I feel most vulnerable, and I often choose to stay engaged with life despite the possibility of being hurt.

DUYGU Are you harsh with yourself or compassionate?

HANDE Learning to be compassionate with myself was not easy. We often know how to show understanding to others before we learn how to offer it to ourselves. I used to be harsher on myself; more critical, less understanding. But over time, I realized that the way you treat yourself shapes the way you see life, and nothing truly changes until your inner voice does.

From Based Istanbul N°46 ICONS, Redefined Issue.

Buy your copy now!

Creative Direction & Interview by Duygu Bengi

Photography by Yağız Yeşilkaya

Fashion Editor Emre Köklüçınar

Style Editor Eren Çebi

Hair by Nuri Şekerci

Makeup by Begüm Esen Yılmaz

Set Design by Ceren Yılmaz

Executive Producers Bilge Bengi, Cansu Sıtacı

Creative Production by BI Creative

Content Editor Duru Ustaoğlu

Creative Team Ali Aydın Ustaoğlu

Gaffer Okan Ataş

Photography Assistant Çağdaş Sezgin

Styling Assistant Bora Beler

Makeup Assistant Pınar Çete

Hair Assistant Mehmet Demirhan Baysal

Lightning Assistant Arif Bilbay, Ali Şimşek, Beykan Baloğlu

Retouch by Touch Eighty Seven

Thanks to Damla Şenbark

With special thanks to Mozaik

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