|
|
|
|
| Birth Name(s) : Goran Visnjic |
Date of Birth: September 9, 1972 |
| Status:
Married
|
Partner:
Ivana Vrdoljak |
| Profession:
Actor |
| << Add Goran Visnjic To Your Favorites |
|
Full Goran Visnjic Biography
Goran Visnjic certainly didn't start his career like most in Hollywood's acting community. In fact, his community consisted of a small Croatian town off the Adriatic Sea where he whiled away his childhood with two brothers.
From early on, Goran found himself leaning towards the performing arts, and the youngest son of a bus driver father and salesclerk mother, was reciting poetry and landing lead roles in school plays by the time he was nine. At twenty he joined the prestigious Academy Of Dramatic Arts in Zagreb, but not before becoming a veteran of two military forces. Visnjic, a trained paratrooper, finished his required military service in the Yugoslav Army at age eighteen, then enlisted, along with one of his brothers, in the Croatian Army when war erupted in the Balkans. Fortunately, all of his family members came out of the frightening turmoil unscathed.
Once the war was over, he dedicated himself to his first love...acting. At twenty-one he was cast as Laertes in a traveling production of "Hamlet", with the Dubrovnik Summer Festival, beginning a six year cross-country stint that would expose him to audiences throughout his country. It would also go on to earn him three national Best Actor awards, including the Orlando (the Croatian equivalent of a Tony).
In 1997, director Michael Winterbottom cast him as a translator-driver for a British news team in the highly acclaimed drama "Welcome To Sarajevo". American audiences had their first taste of the six foot four Croatian and they wanted more.
Voted as one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful in 2000, Goran moved into the role of Nicole Kidman's abusive boyfriend in "Practical Magic", but it was only after landing the role in the hospital drama "ER" that his popularity grew along with his fanbase.
In 1999 Goran married sculptor Ivana, also from Croatia. On his off time he likes fencing, swimming, diving, and four-wheeling in the hills near his L.A. home. |
|
|
Additional Goran Visnjic Biography
Goran Višnjić (pronounced /'ʋiʃ.ɲiʨ/ ('VISH-nyich')) (born September 9, 1972) is a Croatian actor who has appeared in American films and television productions. He is best known for his role as Dr. Luka Kovač in the hit television series ER. Generally credited as Goran Visnjic in his English-language work, he adopted the simplified spelling of his name when he came to the United States in the late '90's, believing it would be more accessible to American audiences.
Višnjić was born in the city of Šibenik (in Yugoslavia, now along the coast of Croatia); he has an older brother, Joško. His father, Željko Višnjić, was a bus driver, and his mother, Milka, worked in a food market. He appeared in plays throughout his childhood and made his screen debut in the controversial Yugoslavian film Braća po materi (1988), playing a young Croatian extremist. He was trained at the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Zagreb.
As Yugoslavia began to dissolve, Višnjić was serving a year-long tour of duty with the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA). He left the JNA and returned to Šibenik, where he joined the nascent Croatian Army in defending his hometown against JNA-supported Krajina Serbs. His war record, albeit short, is subject of many apocryphal stories.
Višnjić was the youngest actor to be chosen for the coveted title role in Shakespeare's Hamlet at the internationally acclaimed Dubrovnik Summer Theatre Festival in Croatia. He portrayed the doomed prince for six years from 1993 to 2000, winning several coveted Orlando Awards (the equivalent of the Tony Award). During an episode of ER, Luka demonstrated his expertise in the part of Hamlet, by reciting an excerpt from the "To be or not to be" soliloquy in Croatian. In the same episode, he demonstrated his skill in another Shakespeare-related hobby by fencing with Noah Wyle's character, Dr. John Carter.
Prior to ER, Višnjić had small speaking roles in films like The Peacemaker, Committed and Practical Magic. In 1998 he also appeared in Madonna's music video "The Power of Goodbye", and had a cameo in the movie Rounders. But it was Višnjić's break-out role as Risto, the Bosnian driver in Welcome to Sarajevo that lead then-producer Jack Orman to offer him the role of the then unnamed doctor who would replace the departing George Clooney on ER. Višnjić joined ER in the sixth season (late 1999) and assumed the lead at the beginning of Season 12. In March 2007, it was announced by the entertainment media that Višnjić will quit ER at the end of the season. Although Višnjić himself had hinted at it, the timing of his departure proved to be inaccurate. Višnjić returned to ER for its 14th season after missing four episodes, and may depart the show permanently at an indeterminate point in the season, although little is known about his plans at present.
Since joining ER, Višnjić has co-starred in the movie The Deep End, voice-acted in Ice Age, and starred in Posljednja volja and Doctor Sleep. More recently, he starred in the television mini-series Spartacus and the Croatian movie and television series Duga mračna noć. He appeared with Jennifer Garner in the movie Elektra. During the summer of 2005, Višnjić was one of four finalists for the role of James Bond, eventually losing out to British actor Daniel Craig. Recently, Višnjić appeared in UNKLE's music video for the song "Burn My Shadow", released in May 2007. In October, 2007, Višnjić began filming the motion picture Helen in Vancouver with Ashley Judd, playing Judd's character's husband David, while concurrently filming "ER" in Los Angeles. In addition, rumors continue to swirl that Visnjic will play the French-Algerian lover of Casino Royale heroine Vesper Lynd in the upcoming as yet untitled Bond 22 film, set to begin principal photography in early 2008.
Višnjić has been active in animal rights, and appeared alongside his dog Bugsy in PETA's first Eastern European anti-fur campaign. He is currently a spokesman for both the International Fund for Animal Welfare and a Croatian animal-rights group.
He was named People magazine's Sexiest Import in 1999 and "One of TV's Sexiest Men" in the June 5 – June 11, 2005 TV Guide. He was ranked #18 in Croatian-based monthly film magazine Hollywood in Best Croatian Male Movie Stars of All Time list in November 2005. He was also named as the Best Croatian actor in 2004 according to the votes of the visitors of internet magazines, for his role in the movie Duga mračna noć, according to the votes of Croatian newspaper Večernji list. |
|
| Add Goran Visnjic Biography (SuperUSERS) + |
Goran Visnjic Quote(s)
| Making my English better is a hard job, a slow job. But it's getting better. Three years ago it would have taken me a half hour to say this sentence. |
|
| Add Goran Visnjic Review/Comment
|
HQ Goran Visnjic Pictures (32) | Random Goran Visnjic Picture
|
| << Back to the Goran Visnjic Homepage |
|
