Rade Serbedzija was born in Bunic (Korenica) in 1946. Graduated from the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Zagreb. Still a student, he started to play the leading roles in films and theater productions. Šerbedžija was born in the village of Bunić within Lika region, PR Croatia, FPR Yugoslavia.He is an ethnic Serb from Croatia 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.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. 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).[5] 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
He is remembered as an outstanding Peer Gynt, Don Juan, Georgij, Melkior, Oedipus, Hamlet, Leon and Richard III. He wrote and published four books of poetry and released four albums, as well as directed 12 plays (Balade Petrice Kerempuha, Kazu da je sova nekad bila pekareva kci, Judita, Hrvatski slavuj...). He shot more than seventy films (Rdece klasje (1970), Zadah tela (1983), Hajka (1977), Vecernja zvona (1986), Bravo maestro (1978), Variola vera (1982), Una (1984), Usijanje (1979), Zivot je lep (1985), Kiklop (1982), Povratak (1979), Horvatov izbor (1985), Dreaming the Rose (1986), Kontesa Dora (1993)...), and starred in leading roles of several TV-series (Sam covjek, U registraturi (1974), Prosjaci i sinovi (1971), Bombaski proces (1978), Nikola Tesla (1977), Putovanje u Vucjak (1986)...). He joined Vanessa Redgrave to found a theater that produced plays such as Brecht in exile, Liberation of Skopje, Smoke, Opera Sarajevo. He took part in many charity and peace initiatives. After a world famous film Pred dozhdot (1994) where he played the leading role, he was cast in films by prominent directors of the world (P. Noyce, J. Woo, S. Kubrick, F. Rossi...), in films such as The Saint (1997) (P. Noyce), The Truce (1997) (F. Rossi), Prague Duet (1998), Broken English (1996), Eyes Wide Shut (1999) (S. Kubrick), Polish Wedding (1998), Stigmata (1999), Mighty Joe Young (1998), Il dolce rumore della vita (1999), Open Sea (1998), Mission: Impossible II (2000), Space Cowboys (2000), Snatch. (2000), and in South Pacific (2001), Hermano (2007), Quicksand (2003), currently in post-production. He starred alongside Val Kilmer, Elisabeth Shue, John Turturro, Tom Cruise, Glenn Close. He lives in London.
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With the support of the Eurimages Fund of the Council of Europe
