10 best ex-Yugoslav actresses
Best actresses from the countries of former Yugoslavia
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Born in Belgrade, Dravic was involved with the performing arts from the age of four: first with dance and later classical ballet. In 1959, while in high school, director Frantisek Cap saw her on the cover of a youth magazine in a ballet dancers group photo and decided on the spot to approach her about being in his film Vrata ostaju otvorena. After appearing in few more films she decided to pursue acting full-time and successfully enrolled in Belgrade's Dramatic Arts Academy.
Her big break came in 1962 when she won the Golden Arena for Best Actress award (which was the Yugoslav equivalent of Academy Award) for her role in Branko Bauer's film Prekobrojna. This was the moment that sent her on the way to becoming Yugoslavia's first and arguably the biggest female movie star.
Milena Dravic continued with long and prolific career during which she showed great talent and versatility. She was equally memorable and believable as the tragic heroine in state-sponsored World War II epics, eccentric protagonist of experimental art-house films like WR: Mysteries of the Organism and romantic comedies. She especially excelled in the latter during the 1970s and 1980s. She won the Cannes Best Supporting Actress Award in 1980 for Special Treatment.
For her roles and contributions to domestic cinematography, she received the prestigious Pavle Vujisic Award in August 1994.- Actress
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Mirjana Karanovic was born on 28 January 1957 in Belgrade, Serbia, Yugoslavia. She is an actress and director, known for A Good Wife (2016), Grbavica (2006) and Requiem for Mrs. J (2017).- A leading actress of theatre, film and TV in the former Yugoslavia, Mira Furlan emigrated to the U.S. with her husband, Goran Gajic, in November 1991, due to the intolerable political circumstances in her homeland. Ms. Furlan starred in the Warner Brothers TV series Babylon 5 (1993) as "Ambassador Delenn" (Sci-Fi Universe Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Genre TV-series 1996 and 1997).
Her other American credits included the TV movie My Antonia (1995) directed by Joseph Sargent, the title roles in "Sophocles Antigone" at the Hudson Guild Theatre in Los Angeles (Dramalogue Theatre Award for Outstanding Performance in 1995) and Lorca's "Yerma" at The Indiana Repertory Theatre. She also appeared in Brecht's "Baal" at The Second Stage in Los Angeles and Shaw's "Don Juan In Hell" in which she co-starred with Edward Asner and Rene Auberjonois. Ms. Furlan was a member of The Actor's Studio.
Ms. Furlan's film credits include leading roles in over 25 films. She co-starred in Emir Kusturica's Cannes award-winning and Oscar-nominated film When Father Was Away On Business (2000). Films include: Three For Happiness, (Grand Prix, Valencia Film Festival), Beauty Of Vice, In The Jaws Of Life, The Loves Of Blanka Kolak, and Dear Video. In addition, Ms Furlan has appeared regularly on Yugoslav television, playing leading roles in numerous series and TV films. She received all the highest awards in her former country, both for her stage and film work, including two Golden Arenas (Yugoslav Oscars) for Best Actress.
In the former Yugoslavia, Furlan was a member of the Croatian National Theatre and a frequent guest star at major theatres in the whole country. Her favorite roles include: 'Natalya' in "A Month In The Country", 'Mrs. Elliot' in "Alpha-Beta", 'Celimene' in "The Misanthrope", 'Judith' in "The Devil's Disciple", 'Annabella' in "Tis Pity She's A Whore", the title role in Euripides' "Helen", 'Lea' in "Dybbuk", 'Isabelle' in Corneille's "L'Illusion Comique", 'Yvette' in "Mother Courage", 'Natasha' in "Three Sisters" and 'Ophelia' in Jiri Menzel's production of "Hamlet". - Actress
- Soundtrack
Olivera Markovic has prevailed in the Yugoslav theater, film and television scene since she first appeared in modern American stage plays by such authors as Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams and William Inge in the early 1950s, and was also able to impress audiences and critics alike in more light-hearted roles.
In addition, she has figured in plays by Labiche and Priestly, Shaw and William Shakespeare, Goldoni and Dostoyevsky, Anouilh and O'Neil and Moliere and Chekov including "The Three Sisters", "Crime and Punishment" and "Marriage" by Gogolj, more often than not at the Belgrade Drama Theatre and the National Theatre.
She appeared in over a hundred stage plays, was the star of many popular television series such as A Better Life (1987) , and acted in 74 feature films:Vlak bez voznog reda (1959), Boom Town (1961), Drug predsednik centarfor (1960), to name but a few. She was also well-known as a singer of Russian romances.
After some time away from films, she returned more recently as a special guest star in Peasants (2001) and Frozen Stiff (2002).- Actress
- Writer
Eva Ras was born on 1 January 1941 in Subotica, Serbia, Yugoslavia. She is an actress and writer, known for Vampir (2021), Srecni ljudi (1993) and Love Affair, or The Case of the Missing Switchboard Operator (1967). She was previously married to Radomir Stevic Ras.- Mirjana Jokovic was born on 24 November 1967 in Belgrade, Serbia, Yugoslavia. She is an actress, known for Maid in Manhattan (2002), At Middleton (2013) and Eversmile New Jersey (1989). She is married to Srdjan Milenkovic.
- Vesna Trivalic is a Serbian actress. She studied at Dramatic Arts Academy in Belgrade. There are not many details about her life because she rarely gives any interviews and is practically never a guest in television shows. Her outstanding ability to change her voice and charismatic appearance made her greatly respected and loved actress in Serbia. She mainly played supported roles but so effectively that many projects are recognized for her character especially. The most memorable roles are Violeta in film "Mi nismo andjeli" and Katarina Andjelic 'Cakana' in tv series "Otvorena vrata". She got married in 2006 and she has a son.
- Jelisaveta 'Seka' Sablic was born on 13 June 1942 in Belgrade, Serbia, Yugoslavia. She is an actress, known for Maratonci trce pocasni krug (1982), Srecni ljudi (1993) and A Weekend of Deceased Persons (1988).
- Actress
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Ljiljana Blagojevic was born on 5 November 1955 in Zemun, Serbia, Yugoslavia. She is an actress and producer, known for Do You Remember Dolly Bell? (1981), Kljun (2021) and A Better Life (1987). She is married to Sinisa Kovacevic. They have one child.- Actress
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- Producer
Zrinka Cvitesic is a Croatian film, television and theater actress. She started acting at elementary school and her first role was Cinderella. As a theater actress, she has been a member of the Croatian National Theater since 2005. In April 2013, she made her West End debut at the Phoenix Theater in London as "Girl" in the musical Once. Her performance received rave reviews, and she won Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical.
For her performance in the 2005 film What Is a Man Without a Moustache? (2005), Cvitesic won awards for best actress in a leading role both at the 53rd Pula Film Festival and the 11th Sarajevo Film Festival. She received the Shooting Stars Award, the annual acting award for up-and-coming actors by European Film Promotion, at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival in 2010. She has been a recipient of Golden Arena, the top prize at Pula Film Festival for her work in the film Na putu (2010).
Other than her eminent role in Croatian theater, film and television, she is active as a voice actress. Her prolific voice acting range includes over twenty credits in Croatian dubs for animated films, including Princess Jasmine in the Aladdin (1992) franchise, Gloria in the Madagascar (2005) franchise, Ciara in The Lion King (1994) franchise and Beans in Rango (2011).