Borivoje Bora Todorović - Actor's Biography

Borivoje Bora Todorović (Belgrade, Serbia, Kingdom of Yugoslavia, November 5, 1929 - Belgrade, Serbia, July 7, 2014)


Popular Serbian theatre, film and television actor who starred in a number of famous roles in his career. His main characteristic is the serious facial expression that he kept even when starring in comedies. He was born in a family of teachers and lost his father as young boy. He went to high school in Belgrade and then served in the military. He originally studied mechanical engineering, he soon gave up on it and enrolled to the Academy of Drama Arts in Belgrade and studied in the class of Jozo Laurenčić together with Ljuba Tadić and Slobodan Perović. He first acted in the Belgrade Drama Theatre, and afterwards followed his sister and her second husband Bojan Stupica to Zagreb where they had acting engagements. Thus, he acted in the Croatian National Theatre from 1957 to 1961, and the most famous plays from that period are: Death of a Travelling Salesman, Baby Doll and Stellar Moments in Human History. His first smaller roles on film were in those starring his older sister Mira Stupica. The first one was U mreži (1956), directed by Mira’s husband Bojan, and then Mali čovek (1957). Upon his return to Belgrade he started to act in Atelier 212 in plays such as Arsenic and Old Lace by Joseph Kesselring, Heart of a Dog by Mihaíl Bulgakov, The Marathon Family and Radovan III by Dušan Kovačevića, Miracle in Sargan by Ljubomir Simović and many others. He remained a member of that theatre until 1983. In 1961, he began acting on television, such as in the TV series Rađanje radnog naroda (1969), Diplomci (1971), Ceo život za godinu dana (1971), Čardak ni na nebu ni na zemlji (1978-1979), Vruć vetar (1980) and Bila jednom jedna zemlja (1996). His most successful feature films are from the 1980’s when he worked with directors of the Prague school, such as Goran Paskaljević, Goran Marković and Slobodan Šijan. His most important films are Who's Singin' Over There? (Ko to tamo peva 1980) by Slobodan Šijan, Montenegro (1981) by Dušan Makavejev, The Marathon Family (Maratonci trče počasni krug, 1982) by Slobodan Šijan, Balkan ekspres (1983) by Branko Baletić, Balkan Spy (Balkanski špijun, 1984) by Božidar Nikolić and Dušan Kovačević and Time of the Gypsies (Dom za vešanje, 1988) by Emir Kusturica. Other films include Beach Guard in Winter (Čuvar plaže u zimskom periodu, 1976) by Goran Paskaljević, Nacionalna klasa (1979) by Goran Marković and Underground (1995) by Emir Kusturica. One of his best films is The Professional (Profesionalac, 2003), directed by Dušan Kovačević based on his own exceptional play and starring the great Todorović and Branislav Lečić. His last film role was in the war drama St. George Shoots the Dragon (Sveti Georgije ubiva aždahu, 2009) by Srđan Dragojević. Busy working on film, he did not act in theater between 1986 and 1996, but returned to the stage in Larry Thompson, Tragedy of a Youth by Dušan Kovačević in Zvezdara Thetare in Belgrade. He continued to act in theatre until 2012 when he retired completely. He spent the last days of his life in Belgrade and Prague. He had a son with his first wife, Srđan Todorović who is also an actor. His daughter Dana from the second marriage is an actress as well. In November 2002, he received the Pavle Vuisić award for life-time achievement for his many roles in Yugoslav films, and in December 2006 he received another life-time achievement award Dobričin prsten for his roles in Yugoslav theatres.







Filmography:

St. George Shoots the Dragon (Sveti Georgije ubiva aždahu, 2009)

Uvođenje u posao (2007) (TV)

The Professional (Profesionalac, 2003)

Sladke sanje (2001)

Raskršće (1998) (part "Magija")

Gore dole (1996-1997) (TV series, 17 episodes)

Bila jednom jedna zemlja (1996) (TV series, 6 episodes)

Underground (1995)

Mala (1991)

Sa 204-272 (1991) (TV)

Sarajevske priče (1991) (TV series, 4 episodes)

Gala korisnica: Atelje 212 kroz vekove (1990) (TV)

Balkan Express 2 (Balkan ekspres 2, 1989) (TV series, 10 episodes)

Balkan Express 2 (Balkan ekspres 2, 1989)

Time of the Gypsies (Dom za vešanje, 1988)

Uvek spremne žene (1987)

Sivi dom (1986) (TV series, 5 episodes)

Ada (1985)

Taiwan Canasta (Tajvanska kanasta, 1985)

Pera Panker (1985) (short feature)

Balkan ekspres (1984) (TV series, 1 episode)

Balkan Spy (Balkanski špijun, 1984)

Ulični pevači (1984) (TV series, 1 episode)

Kako se kalio narod Gornjeg Jaukovca (1984) (TV)

O pokojniku sve najlepše (1984)

Balkan ekspres (1983)

Razvojni put Bore Šnajdera (1983) (TV)

Karađorđeva smrt (1983) (TV)

Twilight Time (1982)

The Marathon Family (Maratonci trče počasni krug, 1982)

Poslednji čin (1982) (TV series, 1 episode)

Baza na Dunavu (1981) (TV series, 5 episodes)

Montenegro (1981)

Erogena zona (1981)

Special Therapy (Poseban tretman, 1980)

The Adventures of Borivoje Surdilovic (Avanture Borivoja Šurdilovića, 1980)

Vruć vetar (1980) (TV series, 10 episodes)

Who's Singin' Over There? (Ko to tamo peva, 1980)

Kakav dan (1979) (TV)

Čardak ni na nebu ni na zemlji (1978-1979) (TV series, 6 episodes)

National Class Category Up to 785 ccm (Nacionalna klasa, 1979)

Šestica, gore levo (1979) (TV)

Dan kada se rušio svet (1978) (TV)

Gospodarev zet (1978) (TV)

Povratak otpisanih (1978) (TV series, 1 episode)

Gospođa ministarka (1978) (TV)

Arrive Before Daybreak (Stići pre svitanja, 1978)

Čast mi je pozvati vas (1977) (TV series, 1 episode)

Zapamtite (1977) (TV series)

Mala noćna muzika (1977) (TV)

Vaga za tačno merenje (1977) (TV series, 1 episode)

Inferiornost (1977) (TV)

Marija Magdalena (1977) (TV)

Ranjeni orao (1977) (TV)

Crni dani (1977) (mini TV series)

Uspon i pad Žike Proje (1976) (TV series, 4 episodes)

Beach Guard in Winter (Čuvar plaže u zimskom periodu, 1976)

Zvezdana prašina (1976) (TV)

Izgubljena sreća (1976) (TV)

Mili (1975) (TV)

Dvosobna kafana (1975) (TV)

Džoli džokej (1975) (TV)

Death Fury (Crni petak, 1975) (TV)

Rekvijem za teškaša (1974) (TV)

Vlast (1974) (TV)

Jastuk (1974) (TV)

Pozorište u kući (1974) (TV series, 1 episode)

Ujez (1974) (TV)

Nedelje sa Anjom (1974) (TV)

Brauningova verzija (1973) (TV)

Ludi rečnik (1973) (TV series, 1 episode)

Milojeva smrt (1973) (TV)

Siroti mali hrčki (1973) (TV)

Nesporazum (1972) (TV)

Razvojni put Bore Šnajdera (1972) (TV)

Ceo život za godinu dana (1971) (TV series, 31 episode)

Diplomci (1971) (TV series, 10 episodes)

Ulazi slobodan čovek (1971) (TV)

Mirina TV stupica (1970) (TV series, 2 episodes)

Engleski onakav kakav se govori (1970)

Rađanje radnog naroda (1969) (TV series, 12 episodes)

Nedozvani (1969) (TV)

Žigmund Brabender, lovac i ser (1969) (TV series)

Kod Londona (1968) (TV series, 1 episode)

The Tough Ones (Delije, 1968)

Vukadin (1968) (TV series, 3 episodes)

Parničari (1968) (TV series, 1 episode)

Evgenija na zrnu graška (1968) (TV)

Jednog dana, jednom čovjeku (1968) (TV)

Tuđe glave (1968) (TV)

Stan (1968) (TV)

Pusti snovi (1968) (voice, unaccredited)

Probisvet (1967) (TV series, 2 episodes)

Arsenik i stare čipke (1967) (TV)

Koraci kroz magle (1967)

Volite se ljudi (1967) (TV series, 1 episode)

Jedno tuce žena (1967) (TV)

Pozicioni rat ljubavnih generala (1967) (TV)

Ljubav na plajvaz (1967) (TV)

Koktel (1967) (TV)

Roj (1966)

Čovek bez granica, II deo (1966) (TV)

Bananin brat (1966) (TV)

Otac (1965) (TV)

Gorki deo reke (1965)

Čovek bez granica (1964) (TV)

Gola cesta (1961) (TV)

Pokojnik (1961) (TV)

Mali čovek (1957)

U mreži (1956)