Ayşenil Şamlıoğlu

Ayşenil Şamlıoğlu (born 20 March 1956) is a Turkish actress, theatre director, and author.

In 1974, she enrolled in the Istanbul University School of Journalism and Public Relations, but left the university and moved to Germany to take foreign language lessons in Frankfurt. Şamlıoğlu soon became interested in theatre and participated in works with amateur theatre groups. Upon returning to Turkey, Şamlıoğlu became enrolled in METU School of Architecture but left the school for the second time to join Anadolu Agency. After working there for a year, she joined a commercial agency as a drawer. She eventually graduated from Hacettepe University Ankara State Conservatory with a degree in theatre studies and in 1982 began working for Adana State Theatre as an actress and director.

Between 1988 and 1989, she gave theatre lessons at Hacettepe University and for a while worked as the general secretary for state theatre. Şamlıoğlu also authored Kaçıklık Diploması, which was adapted into a movie by Tunç Başaran. Her breakthrough came with her roles in the series Ferhunde Hanımlar and Bizim Evin Halleri. Her role in Yol Arkadaşım as "Hafize" made her widely known in Turkey. Alongside her career as an actress, she has worked in Istanbul City Theatres and Semaver Company as both a director and actress. In May 2009, Şamlıoğlu was appointed as the general art director for Istanbul City Theatres.

She is the daughter of the former President of the Court of Accounts Servet Şamlıoğlu (1926–1991). She also served as a judge at the 17th Afife Theatre Awards.