Birol Ünel (18 August 1961 – 3 September 2020) was a Turkish-German actor who played in German and Turkish films, television, and theatrical productions.
He played a private detective in the film Dealer [de] which he followed up with a role in Fatih Akin's In July.
He then portrayed the alcoholic Cahit Tomruk in Akin's Head-On (Gegen die Wand), which won the Golden Bear at the Berlinale 2004 and brought him international recognition.
His career declined after struggles with alcohol and he was also in the news with minor criminal charges and homelessness.
Ünel died at a hospital in Berlin on 3 September 2020, aged 59, after suffering from cancer.