From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Birol Ünel (born 18 August 1961) was a Turkish-German actor who played in German and Turkish films, television, and theatrical productions. His name, "Birol", means "unique" in Turkish. Ünel was born in Mersin in southern Turkey. In 1968, his family moved to Brinkum near Bremen in Germany. He studied acting at Hanover Conservatory. Ünel began as a theatre actor at the Berliner Tacheles where he played the lead and also directed the play "Caligula". Ünel made his film debut in 1988's The Passenger. He p…