We’ve always loved Boran Kuzum. In Turkish productions, we’ve usually seen him playing young, handsome, sensitive men with a flirtatious streak. Those performances broke plenty of hearts and earned plenty of applause. But we knew he could do much more.

Now an outside perspective has allowed that potential to go off like fireworks. As Yusuf in Netflix’s Big Mistakes, he has us roaring with laughter. Watching him become the person everyone is talking about, we’re applauding wholeheartedly.

Yusuf is volatile, unpredictable, dangerous: the opposite of the restrained, emotional men Turkish audiences are used to seeing Kuzum play. The critics noticed the mix of charm and danger. Translation? Our boy has şeytan tüyü (an irresistible, slightly devilish charm).

A face for every mood

Rast’s original visual tribute paired Yusuf’s expressions with a running commentary. Here is the moodboard in English:

• Eyes on the prize.
• Swearing. Swearing. More swearing.
• Not even worth a swear word.
• I must stay calm.
• Am I judging an idiot contest?
• Error 404.
• I might turn up one night without warning.
• Come on!
• Darling, I’m trouble itself.
• El öpenleriniz çok olsun (may many people honour you by kissing your hand — a traditional wish of respect and affection).
• F—. F—. F—.
• Sensin, günaydın! (roughly, ‘That would be you. Morning!’ — a teasing comeback).

Big Mistakes is Dan Levy’s much-anticipated first series since Schitt’s Creek. And, for us, Kuzum is its most talked-about face.

One more caption says it all: Ulan! (an emphatic Turkish exclamation, somewhere between ‘oi!’ and ‘damn!’).

Still haven’t watched it?

Then we have a guide for you.

• Episodes run to about half an hour. The end of episode three is the ideal moment for your first loo break: you’ll have met the characters, got to grips with the story and cleared the opening stretch before the bigger questions — and problems — arrive.
• Get plenty of snacks ready, but steer clear of anything you might choke on while laughing. There is a serious risk of laughing very hard indeed.
• Keep the remote within reach. You’ll want to pause frequently, replay Boran’s expressions and laugh all over again.

Another image picks out Yusuf’s protest: ‘I’m not Russian, I’m Turkish. Does this sound like a Russian accent?’

Who is it for? Lovers of dark comedy are sure to find a new favourite. And so are Boran Kuzum fans.

Only the beginning

Netflix’s official report for the week of 6–12 April 2026 recorded 2.7 million views for Big Mistakes, which entered the global English-language TV chart at number nine.

Since Rast’s original feature, a second series has been confirmed. Netflix announced on 31 August 2026 that filming had begun in New Jersey, with Kuzum returning as Yusuf. A release date has yet to be announced.

For Boran, this feels like only the beginning. We wouldn’t be remotely surprised to see him in major Hollywood productions soon. Quite the opposite: we’d be delighted.

Adapted from Rast’s original Turkish feature. Updated 18 October 2026. The English captions above translate Rast’s image captions; they are not presented as official English dialogue from the series.