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Rade Serbedzija plays Gregoravitch in the Harry Potter movies.
Rade Šerbedžija (born 27 July 1946), occasionally credited as Rade Sherbedgia in some English-language productions, is a Croatian[1][2][3] actor, director and musician of Serb origin. He was one of the most popular Yugoslav actors in the 1970s and 1980s. He is now internationally known mainly for his supporting roles in Hollywood films during the 1990s and 2000s. Recently, Šerbedžija received attention for his recurring role as former Soviet Army General Dmitri Gredenko in the sixth season of TV action series 24.
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[edit] Early life and career in Yugoslavia
Šerbedžija was born in the village of Bunić in Lika, Yugoslavia.[4] In 1969, he graduated from the Academy of Dramatic Arts of the University of Zagreb and then worked as a theatre actor in the City Drama Theatre Gavella and at the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb.[5] While still a student, Šerbedžija started to play leading roles in films and theater productions. He is remembered as an outstanding Peer Gynt, Don Juan, Melkior Tresić, Oedipus, Hamlet, Leone Glembay and Richard III. Šerbedžija was among the top actors in the former Yugoslavia, as well as an esteemed acting teacher at the Universities of Zagreb and Novi Sad.[6]
In 1964 he first visited the USA, where he enrolled in drama school. Small parts on stage followed for many years until his 1974 breakthrough performance as "Hamlet" at the Dubrovnik Summer Festival made him a star. Although he continued to appear in theatrical productions (notably, "Peer Gynt" and "Oedipus Rex"), Šerbedžija broke into films around the same time. Although many of the more than 40 features he has made in the 70s and 80s have been little-seen outside of Yugoslavia, a handful have received widespread distribution. His early work included the starring role in "The Republic of Užice" (1974).[6]
He had various notable roles in Yugoslav film, among others in U gori raste zelen bor (1971), Variola Vera (1981), Kiklop (1982), Život je lep (1985). He was also among the leading actors in several TV series, such as in Prosjaci i sinovi (1971), U registraturi (1976), Nikola Tesla (1977), Putovanje u Vučjak (1986).
Rade founded the Ulysses Theater with Borislav Vujčić on the Brijuni islands, where he also directs and acts in most plays. The theater was founded in 2000 and has been very successful so far.
[edit] International career
It was probably not until his turn as the captain interrogating a woman who rescued hundreds of children from the Holocaust in "Hanna's War" (1988) that he was noticed in the West.[6] He also portrayed the role of the Armenian jeweler in the 1994 Men in Black film.[citation needed]
In the early 1990s, during the course of the Yugoslav wars, he acted in a few films from various parts of former Yugoslavia, including the Macedonian film Before the Rain in 1994. With the dissolution of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, he and his family were forced to flee to Belgrade, Serbia.[6] Šerbedžija then also acted in various western European films before he emigrated to the United States.
He is perhaps most often recognized by world audiences for his supporting roles in Hollywood films such as Mission: Impossible II, Mighty Joe Young, The Saint, Eyes Wide Shut, Snatch, EuroTrip, The Quiet American (2002), Shooter and a cameo in Batman Begins, often varying between sinister villains or trusting friends. He was offered to reprise his cameo role in The Dark Knight but opted not to.
In 2001, he starred in an elaborate television production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic musical South Pacific in the role of the French plantation owner, Emile de Becque. He was also involved in the BBC Television production of the spy-thriller show Spooks for one episode as a villain. In autumn of 2005, Šerbedžija had a supporting role in the NBC science fiction series Surface. His most recent role is in Jeremy Podeswa's feature film adaptation of Anne Michaels' novel Fugitive Pieces, where he plays the character Athos Roussos. His most recent successful role is that of Captain Blake in Rupert Wainwright's remake of The Fog.
He portrayed the part of Dmitri Gredenko on the sixth season of the hit Fox show 24.
On May 26, 2009, Šerbedžija announced that he had been cast in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as the famous foreign wandmaker Gregorovitch, a 'brief but very important' role. He began filming in November 2009. He announced his casting at a press conference for Fugitive Pieces, and he added that he knew he had the role six months before.
[edit] Other work
Šerbedžija is also known for his poetry readings and has released four albums. On the London stage, he won critical praise for his work in Colin Redgrave's Moving Theatre Company staging of "Brecht in Hollywood" (1994).[6]
[edit] Personal Life
Serbedzija was married to Ivanka Cerovac but they divorced in 1987. They have 1 daughter together the actress Lucija Serbedzija born in 1973. Serbedzija married his second and current wife Lenka Udovicki in 1991.
[edit] Filmography
[edit] References
- ↑ Pečat – Rade Šerbedžija: Hrvatski glumac gruzijskog porekla by Ratko Dmitrović acces date 2010-12-01
- ↑ Idex.hr Rade Šerbedžija glumi u novom "Harryju Potteru"; 2009-05-25; acces date 2010-12-01
- ↑ http://www.croatiantimes.com/index.php?id=4063 Croatian Times – Serbedzija to act in seventh Harry Potter film; acces date 2010-12-01
- ↑
- ↑ Biography for Rade Šerbedžija at the Internet Movie Database
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4