Art of Love is a so-so romantic heist thriller that excels in one particular area — the performance of leading lady Esra Bilgiç. The Netflix movie follows the story of an Interpol officer chasing an art thief who she realizes is her ex-lover. She arranges a sting to catch him red-handed, but even the best plans can come undone when it involves affairs of the heart, and Bilgiç has primarily stolen the attention of viewers who tuned in.
Esra Bilgiç’s role in Art of Love
In the film, Esra Bilgiç plays Alin, a dedicated Interpol officer working in the Art Crime Unit. She has been on a case for a long time now, and is nearly in a position to make a significant breakthrough, ending the long-running spate of thefts from some of the most prestigious galleries in the world. Alin has noticed a pattern in the thefts, with the paintings being stolen not exactly the high-priced masterpieces you might think a thief would go for, but instead all having the same romantic themes and influences. However, the realization that her nemesis is also her ex makes for an interesting dynamic between the couple.
Esra plays the strong female lead here, struggling with the moral dilemma she finds herself stuck within. You can read about Esra’s role in the film in more depth in our review and our ending explained.
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Esra Bilgiç is Turkish and hails from Ankara, the capital of Turkey, and the second largest city after Istanbul.
Esra Bilgiç’s Personal Life
In 2015, Esra was dating Gokhan Tore, a pro footballer, and the couple would eventually marry in 2017. However, the union would not last, with the pair separating in June 2019. The wedding was a lavish affair, and even the Turkish President and First Lady were in attendance.
Although busy expanding her acting career, it is reported that she is also studying law at Marmara University. Esra is very particular about the roles that she plays and carefully looks at every offer she receives. In August 2021, she would be the center of controversy surrounding tweets she made about the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan. Backlash from news outlets would see the offending posts removed.
Esra Bilgic | Image via Dawn Images
Esra would reveal she has been dealing with a personal tragedy after the death of her co-star Ayberk Pekcan. A post on her Instagram page in Turkish would state: “Today is such a difficult day. I am heartbroken at the loss of my loving brother Ayberk.”
What else is Esra Bilgiç known for?
In 2014, Esra would land a role in the TV series Dirilis: Ertugrul. She would play the part of Halime Hatun in the long-running series, which would propel her into the public consciousness, making her synonymous with the part.
After this iconic role, she would move on to appear in Bir Umut Yeter in 2018. TV series Ramo would then offer her another opportunity in 2020, which would lead to her role in another major TV series Kanunsuz Topraklar in 2021. In 2022, she appeared in the film Adanis: Kutsal Kavga where she played Cemre, and in 2022, she voiced the character of Nana in the animated film Dolphin Boy.
