Ivica Vidović (Belgrade, Kingdom of Yugoslavia, May 10, 1939 - Zagreb, Croatia, April 18, 2011)

Vidović is a Croatian theatre and TV actor and one of the most prominent film actors to have begun a career in late 1960s. He graduated with a degree in acting from the Drama Arts Academy in Zagreb in 1963, and got his first acting engagement in the National Theatre in Zagreb. During his career he was a member of other theatres and was famous for his roles with the modern repertoire (Handke, Shaffer, Stoppard, Ionesco, Kundera, Jelačić-Bužimski, Gavran). In the Theatre &TD he took on impressive roles in Kaspar Hauser by Peter Handke, Rosencrantz and Guilderstern Are Dead and Travesties by Tom Stoppard, Jacques and his Master by Milan Kundera, Master of Shadows by Dubravko Jelačić Bužimski and Night of Gods by Miro Gavran. In the Drama Theatre Gavella he made his debut in Petar Kočić’s play The Badger before the Court, which premiered in 1966. Afterwards he starred in many plays (The Public Eye by Peter Shaffer, Children of the Sun by Maxim Gorky, The Government Inspector by N.V. Gogol, The Chioggia Scuffles by Carlo Goldoni, Die Garagen by Jakob Arjouni, Heldenplatz by Thomas Bernhard, The Fourth Sister by Janusz Glowacki). He starred in the National Theatre in Split in Luigi Pirandello’s The Man, The Beast and The Virtue, Dundo Maroje by Marin Držić, Albatros by Ranko Marinković, Svečana večera u pogrebnom poduzeću by Ivo Brešan. In 1998 he founded the theatre group Teatar Rugantino (Ay, Carmela by J. S. Sinistere, Antigona in New York by J. Glowacki) with his third wife, Gordana Gadžić (the first two were Zdenka Anušić and Mirjana Majurec, also actresses). He made his debut on the big screen in Rana jesen (1962) by Svetomir Janić. The directors noticed his acting talent early on and he introduced a new type of an anti-hero by portraying introverted, confused and marginal characters – mostly losers. Some of his most famous roles include films such as Zaseda (1969) by Žika Pavlović, Passing Days (Idu dani, 1970) by Fadil Hadžić, Kužiš stari moj (1973) by Vanča Kljaković, for which he won the Silver Arena in Pula in 1973; Prijeki sud (1978) by Branko Ivanda, Ritam zločina (1981) and A Man Who Liked Funerals (Čovjek koji je volio sprovode, 1989) by Zoran Tadić. He worked with Dušan Makavejev starring in his film W.R.: Mysteries of the Organism (W.R. - Misterije organizma, 1971), in which he ventured a step away from his regular roles. His other famous roles are in When You Hear the Bells (Kad čuješ zvona, 1969) and There Grows a Green Pine in the Woods (U gori raste zelen bor, 1971) by Antun Vrdoljak, Handcuffs (Lisice, 1969) by Krsto Papić, From the Other Side (S druge strane, 1970) by Joze Gale, Slow Motion (Usporeno kretanje, 1979) by Vanča Kljaković, Eagle (Orao, 1990) by Zoran Tadić. More recently, he mostly had smaller but still rather impressive supporting roles in Croatian films; in the comedy How the War Started on My Island (Kako je počeo rat na mom otoku, 1997) by Vinko Brešan and drama Fine Dead Girls (Fine mrtve djevojke, 2002) by Dalibor Matanić as well as the leading role in Papić’s comedy When the Dead Start Singing (Kad mrtvi zapjevaju, 1999). Among many TV roles, his most memorable ones are those as Servantes in Naše malo misto (1971), directed by Daniel Marušić, as Očalinko in Velo misto (1981), directed by Joakim Marušić and the leading role in Inspektor Vinko (1984-1985) by Krešo Golik. Younger audiences know Vidović well from the TV series Naša mala klinika (2004-2007). During his career he received a lot of awards and recognition. In 1996, by the decision of the president of Croatia, he received the Order of Danica Hrvatska with the picture of Marko Marulić (a recognition given to special merits in the area of culture). In 2005, he received the Fabijan Šovagović award (founded in 2000 in memoriam to Fabijan Šovagović, and awarded to actors whose work has made a permanent mark on the history of Croatian film). In 2009, at Days of Film in Mostar, he received an award for life-time achievement. He passed away at the age of 72 after a long and severe illness.


Filmography:
Top je bio vreo (2012)
Bella Biondina (2011)
Stipe u gostima (2010) (TV series, 1 episode)
Dome slatki dome (2010) (TV series, 16 episode)
Mamutica (2008) (TV series, 1 episode)
Gdje pingvini lete (2008)
Naša mala klinika (2004-2007) (TV series, 95 episode)
Mrs Before / Gospođa za prije (2007) (kratkometražni)
Bitange i princeze (2007) (TV series, 1 episode)
Trešeta (2006) (TV film)
Luda kuća (2005) (TV series, 2 episodes)
What Is a Man Without a Moustache? / Što je muškarac bez brkova? (2005)
Pušća Bistra (2005)
The Society of Jesus / Družba Isusova (2004)
Visions of Europe (2004) (omnibus, segment "Europa")
The World's Greatest Monster / Svjetsko čudovište (2003)
Fine Dead Girls / Fine mrtve djevojke (2002)
Novo doba (2002) (mini TV series)
U sjeni Green Hilla (2002) (TV film)
Starci (2001) (TV film)
Marshal Tito's Spirit / Maršal (2000)
Četverored (1999)
When the Dead Start Singing / Kad mrtvi zapjevaju (1999)
Lapitch the Little Shoemaker / Čudnovate zgode šegrta Hlapića (1997) (voice)
How the War Started on My Island / Kako je počeo rat na mom otoku (1997)
Sedma kronika (1996)
Brod (1992) (TV film)
Eagle / Orao (1990)
Tražim srodnu dušu (1990) (mini TV series)
Karneval, andjeo i prah (1990)
A Man Who Liked Funerals / Čovjek koji je volio sprovode (1989)
Buža (1989) (TV film)
Zagrljaj (1988) (TV series)
Inspektor Vinko (1984-1985) (TV series, 8 episodes)
Neobični sako (1984) (TV film)
Servantes iz Malog Mista (1982)
Velo misto (1981) (TV series, 5 episodes)
Ritam zločina (1981)
Slow Motion / Usporeno kretanje (1979)
Tale (1979) (mini TV series, 6 episodes)
Prijeki sud (1978)
Slučaj Filipa Franjića (1978) (TV film)
Vučari Donje i Gornje Polače (1978) (TV film)
Zašto je pile žuto a koka nije (1977) (short)
Izbavitelj (1976)
Vrijeme ratno i poratno (1975) (TV series, 1 episode)
Zec (1975) (TV film)
Poslednja utrka (1975) (short)
Psihopati (1974) (TV film)
Kužiš stari moj (1973)
Orgulje i vatrogasci (1973) (TV film)
Piknik na frontu (1973) (TV, short)
Madeleine, mon amour! (1972) (short)
Građani sela Luga (1972) (TV series, 9 episodes)
A Journey / Putovanje (1972) (short)
Roman sa kontrabasom (1972) (TV, short)
Ptičje kupalište (1972) (TV film)
W.R.: Mysteries of the Organism / W.R. - Misterije organizma (1971)
There Grows a Green Pine in the Woods / U gori raste zelen bor (1971)
Naše malo misto (1971) (TV series, 4 episodes)
Uniforme (1971) (mini TV series)
Handcuffs / Lisice (1970)
Ljubav na bračni način (1970) (TV series, 1 episode)
From the Other Side / Onkraj (1970)
Passing Days / Idu dani (1970)
Zaseda (1969)
When You Hear the Bells / Kad čujes zvona (1969)
Đema Kapoli (1968) (TV film)
Srećan slučaj (1965) (TV film)
Prometej s otoka Viševice (1964)
Rana jesen (1962)