Serra Yilmaz (b. 1954 Turkey) is well-known for her work as an actress and a director in Turkish and Italian theatre, film and television. Yilmaz studied psychology in France before working as an actress at the Istanbul Municipal Theatre from 1988 to 2004. Her film career took off in 1983 with the film Şekerpare and in 2002 she won acclaim for the leading role in 9, a film directed by director Ümit Ünal. She has had supporting roles in such internationally-acclaimed films as Harem Suare (1999), Le Fate Ignorante (The Ignorant Fairies) (2000) and La Finestra di fronte (Facing Windows) (2002), Saturno Contro (Saturn in Opposition) (2007), and Un giorno perfetto (A Perfect Day) (2008) all directed by Ferzan Özpetek. Recent films include Scontro di civiltà per un ascensore a Piazza Vittorio (2010) (Clash of Civilization Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio) and Ses (2010) (The Voice). Awards include Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Harem Suare at the Antalya Film Festival, Best Actress for her performance in 9 at the 21st Istanbul International Film Festival, and Best Supporting Actress for Facing Windows at the Flaiano Film Festival.

In addition to acting, Yılmaz is also a translator who speaks Turkish, French, Italian and English. In 2006 she was the official interpreter for Pope Benedict XVI on his trip to Turkey. She travels extensively working in Italy, France, and Turkey. She resides in Istanbul.

Serra Yılmaz first came to the Gardner in March, 2006. She spent time in the archives researching materials in the archives, looking at Isabella's travel scrapbooks, and reading correspondence including letters between Mrs. Gardner and Sarah Bernhardt, Adelaide Grillo and Lady Gregory. In the Spring of 2008 she returned to perform Apples from the Sky, four intimate staged readings in the museum's galleries in conjunction with the exhibition Luxury for Export: Exchange Between India and Portugal around 1600. Yilmaz selected works by Marguerite Yourcenar, Omar Palmuk and Kritovoulos that explore merchantry and the exchange and the movement of cultures between places. In addition to the readings, Yilmaz told Turkish fairy tales to all ages during Day of Discovery. A larger evening program in the Tapestry Room she dedicated to Hrant Dink, the Turkish-Armenian journalist who was assassinated in 2007. Yilmaz incorporated a reading of Dink's final article that spoke about tolerance and forgiveness with Armenian and Turkish tales of the same tenor.