Kerem Bursin was born on June 4th, 1987, in Istanbul, Turkey, and spent his childhood moving from one place to another, living in 7 different countries before settling in Sugar Land, Texas. His family eventually settled in Texas, where he developed an interest in acting during his high school years. He excelled in a play, winning numerous awards, including the best actor of the state of Texas.
Bursin attended Emerson College in Boston, majoring in Marketing Communications with a focus on Public Relations. However, he consistently took on acting roles in student films and plays, garnering attention on campus as an actor. He eventually shifted his focus to acting and finished his last semester in Los Angeles, which led him to stay there.
Bursin's television career began with roles in Roger Corman's Sharktopus (2010) and Palace of the Damned (2013). After spending several years in Los Angeles, he moved back to his hometown in Istanbul, Turkey, and began pursuing his passion for acting again. Shortly after his return, he landed the lead role in the TV show Waiting for the Sun (2013),which became a huge success in Turkey and surrounding countries.
The Turkish audience met Bursin for the first time through his portrayal of Kerem Sayer, an 18-year-old high school rebel. He won over the crowd quickly, earning him several awards, commercial deals, and recognition across Eastern Europe, Turkey, and the Middle East.
After completing 56 episodes of Waiting for the Sun, Bursin was approached by renowned Turkish director Çagan Irmak to star in his film Whisper If I Forget (2014),where he played the role of Erhan, a young bass player with a passion for music set in 1970s Istanbul. His performance in the film earned him more recognition and awards.
Bursin continued to rise to fame, becoming the face of Turkey's most popular denim brand MAVI, a role he still holds today.
For his next television season, Bursin reunited with director Altan Dönmez for the Turkish remake of the Italian mafia TV-series Il Ristretto D'Honore, titled Matter of Respect (2014). The show sparked a lot of curiosity and hype, with critics initially skeptical about Bursin's ability to play a late-twenty-something Turkish bad boy who becomes embroiled in the Turkish mafia. However, he left critics surprised and once again earned the appreciation of the audience, making the show a hit.
