Birol Ünel (18 August 1961 – 3 September 2020) was a Turkish-born German actor. He was born in Mersin, Turkey. His first movie roles was in the 1988 German drama movie "The Passenger – Welcome to Germany". He later became known for starring in "In July" (2000), "Head-On" (2004), "Transylvania" (2006), and in "Soul Kitchen" (2009).