Ismayil Osman oghlu Osmanli was born in Shaki on April 11, 1902 into a poor family. Orphaned at a young age, he could not receive a perfect education and had to work in a Shaki silk factory. Despite all the difficulties in life, his interest in acting inspired him to embark upon an artistic career. In 1920, he enrolled in the Workers and Peasants' Club drama group in Shaki. In his youth, he also performed on stage under the names "Ismayil Osman" and "Ismayil Osmanoghlu".

Ismayil Osmanli moved to Ganja in 1922 and worked at an amateur theater for a while. In 1928, he was invited to the Tiflis Azerbaijan Drama Theater where his artistic development began. Ismayil Osmanli gained a significant acting experience on the stage of this theater, playing parts such as Abu Ubayd in Jafar Jabbarli’s "Od gəlini ("Bride of Fire"), Guildenstern in William Shakespeare's "Hamlet," and Pierre in Adolphe d'Ennery and Eugène Cormont's "The Two Orphans." Later, the desire to perform in a larger theater and with the great artists of his time led him to the Azerbaijan State Drama Theater. The artist linked his fate to this artistic institution from 1929 for the rest of his life, creating various characters on stage. Among them Kechal Aslan, Fon Hols, Shaliko in Samad Vurgun’s "Xanlar" ("Khanlar"), "İnsan" ("Human") and "Vaqif" ("Vagif"), Amrah, Mashadi Jafar in Abdurrahim bey Hagverdiyev’s "Pəri cadu" ("Nymph Magic"), "Dağılan tifaq" ("The Breaking of Unity"), Sheikh Hadi, Vali, Shakro in Huseyn Javid’s "Şeyx Sənan" ("Sheikh Sanan"), "Səyavuş" ("Sayavush" ), "Knyaz" ("Knyaz"), Munis, Karim Rahimli in Mehdi Huseyn’s "Nizami" ("Nizami" ) and "Alov" ("Flame" ), Mirza Garanfil, Zakir, Ahmad bey, Khalil, Gasim in Sabit Rahman’s "Xoşbəxtlər" ("Happy Ones" ), "Aydınlıq" ("Happiness"), "Küləklər" ("Winds"), "Əliqulu evlənir" ("Aligulu is getting married"), "Nişanlı qız" ("Engaged Girl" ), Mirza Heydargulu, Shakinski in Mirza Ibrahimov’s "Həyat" ("Hayat"), "Kəndçi qızı" ("Peasant Girl"), Krutitsky, Tikhon, Karandyshev in Alexander Ostrovsky’s "Enough Stupidity in Every Wise Man", "The Storm", "Without a Dowry", Alexandrov in Leo Tolstoy’s "The Living Corpse", Senior Senator, Feste, Guildenstern in William Shakespeare’s "Othello", "Twelfth Night" and "Hamlet".

Jafar Jabbarli's dramaturgy played a major role in developing Ismayil Osmanli's acting career. The actor managed to grip the audience’s attention from the very first day with the part of Sharif, which he performed in the play "Almaz" ("Almaz" ) at the playwright’s suggestion. This success significantly boosted his later theatrical activities.

Benefiting from the traditions of national theater, the actor brought the experience gained on stage to cinema. Ismayil Osmanli's debut on screen was in 1939, when he played the Minister of Internal Affairs in Samad Mardanov’s film "Kəndlilər" ("Peasants"). The actor is also remembered for his diverse acting styles in his roles such as Rza Bey in "O olmasın, bu olsun" ("If Not That One, Then This One") (1956), master Mahmud in "Bir məhəlləli iki oğlan" ("Two Boys from the Same District"), master Shirali in "Əsl dost" ("True Friend") (1959), referee in "Sehrli xalat" ("The Magic Gown") (1964), tailor Yusif in "Yenilməz batalyon" ("Invincible Battalion") (1965), Shahbazov in "İyirmialtılar" ("The Twenty-Six Baku Commissars") (1966), grandpa Karim in "Torpaq. Dəniz. Od. Səma" ("The Land. The Sea. The Fire. The Sky") (1967), Sharif in "Mən ki, gözəl deyildim" ("I Was Not a Beauty") (1968), Mammadali in "Dəli Kür" ("Turbulent Kura") (1969), Kalantar in "Yeddi oğul istərəm" ("My Seven Sons") (1970), Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev in "Ulduzlar sönmür" ("The Stars Don't Fade") (1971), Naimi in "Nəsimi" ("Nasimi") (1973) and others. He played the character of Kalantar in the "Yeddi oğul istərəm" ("My Seven Sons") so vividly and convincingly that the film was met with a mixed response by the audience after its release. Some expressed their objections to the actor in person at places they met, while others wrote letters, making harsh accusations and even insulting him. The actor, initially seriously concerned about this, later calmed down, realizing that the character had a unique place in cinema history.

In 1968, at the Transcaucasian and Ukrainian Film Festival, Ismayil Osmanli was recognized as the best male actor for his portrayal of Novruzali in the TV film "Poçt qutusu" ("The Mailbox") (1967), dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of the great playwright Jalil Mammadguluzadeh. He was presented with the first-class diploma of the festival. The actor was also awarded various accolades and orders for his achievements in art, including honorary titles of Honored Artist in 1940, People's Artist in 1949, and People's Artist of the USSR in 1974.

Ismayil Osmanli died in Baku on June 22, 1978 and was buried in the Second Alley of Honor.

Recommended literature:

1. İsaqoğlu, Vaqif. İsmayıl Osmanlı / V. İsaqoğlu. - Bakı : Şərq-Qərb, 2017. - 120 s.
2. Kazımov, Tofiq Səməd Mənsur oğlu. İsmayıl Osmanlı/T. S. Kazımov ; red. C. Səfərov. - Bakı: Azərnəşr, 1974. - 74 s.
3. Rəhimli, İlham Əziz oğlu. Azərbaycan teatr tarixi : 5 cilddə / İ. Ə. Rəhimli. II cild. - Bakı : Şərq-Qərb, 2017. - 536 s.