ZORAN RADMILOVIĆ'S HOUSE (b.1933)


ZORAN RADMILOVIĆ WAS BORN

ZORAN RADMILOVIĆ WAS BORN

Zoran Radmilović was born on May 11th, 1933 in Zaječar, in the part of town still known as Wallachian Mahallah.

1933
ZORAN RADMILOVIĆ BECOMES KING UBU

ZORAN RADMILOVIĆ BECOMES KING UBU

Soon after graduating, Zoran got the leading role in Atelje 212's "King Ubu" which is still unsurpassed. It also brought him the unofficial title of King of humor and improvisation.

1964
ZORAN RADMILOVIĆ BECOMES RADOVAN III

ZORAN RADMILOVIĆ BECOMES RADOVAN III

Zoran gets a leading role at Dušan Kovačević's play "Radovan III" and at which he played until his last days. According to Kovačević, he wrote this role for Zoran who, through his special gift for improvisation, gave it a particular reading, combining Zaječar humor and daily politics.

1973
LAST PERFORMANCE OF RADOVAN III

LAST PERFORMANCE OF RADOVAN III

Zoran gave the last, 299th performance of “Radovan III” on June 9th and soon after had to be hospitalized.

1985
ZORAN RADMILOVIĆ PASSED AWAY

ZORAN RADMILOVIĆ PASSED AWAY

On July 21st Zoran Radmilović passed away. His urn is placed at the Alley of Great Citizens at Belgrade.

1985
CITY THEATER AND NEW FESTIVAL NAMED AFTER ZORAN RADMILOVIĆ

CITY THEATER AND NEW FESTIVAL NAMED AFTER ZORAN RADMILOVIĆ

Zaječar Theater takes Zoran's name, as well as the newly founded theater festival.

1991
MARBLE PLATE PLACED

MARBLE PLATE PLACED

On an initiative of Zoran's friend and colleague actor, Nenad Ciganović, his former house was marked with a marble plate in a ceremony on October 12th.

1993
ZORAN RADMILOVIĆ'S STATUE REVEALED

ZORAN RADMILOVIĆ'S STATUE REVEALED

In an official ceremony, Zoran Radmilović's statue was revealed at the very city centre.

2008

ZORAN RADMILOVIĆ (1933-1985)

Photo from the family archive

Zoran Radmilović was one of the most prominent and most important Serbian actors whose relevance only grows in time, and whose roles are still widely quoted and remembered. He was best known for the leading role in the play “Radovan III” of the Belgrade-based theater Atelje 212, which brought him the informal title of the King of humor and improvisation

Zoran was born on May 11th, 1933 in Zaječar, in the family of the judge Momčilo and Ljubica. His grandfather from the father’s side, Richard Lang, was a German architect who moved to Zaječar for work, married Stevka, became Orthodox Christian, and took the name Radmilo – after whom the whole family later got the last name Radmilović

Zoran Radmilović with his siter and a friend in front of the monument at the main city square

After two years at the Faculty of Law, Zoran studied architecture, then English language and literature, parallel to being a part of the acting section of the “Ivo Lola Ribar” Society, and that prompted him to leave the studies and become an actor. He began his career at the Belgrade Drama Theater (1962-1968), and graduated acting at the Academy for Theater, Film, Radio and Television in 1963. Already in 1964, he got the leading part in Alfred Jarry’s “King Ubu” at Atelje 212, which soon became famous due to his unsurpassed gift for improvisation. He became the member of Atelje 212 in 1968. He gave the last, 299th performance of “Radovan III” on June 9th, 1985, and soon after had to be hospitalized. He passed away on July 21st, 1985 when he was 53 years of age.

Zoran Radmilović as King Ubu (1964), Atelje 212 Archives

Zoran’s first film role was in 1962 in the movie “Strange Girl” by Jovan Živanović, and he is still known for many TV and film roles. During all his life he was politically active, and promoted the position of the oppressed and marginalized ones, publicly criticizing the government and power figures in all his performances. 

Zoran Radmilović as Radovan III, with Mira Banjac and Bora Todorović (1973, Theater Museum Belgrade)

Zoran loved his hometown Zaječar in an unusual and special way, and he used to mention it with love and homesickness in many occasions. He performed only once at the Zaječar Theater, with the guest performance of Dušan Kovačević’s “Radovan III”. He stated back then that this was one of the rare moments he had stage fright: the role of Radovan III was inspired by the type of humor which Zoran defined as specific of Zaječar, and for the role he combined several well-known town figures.

Marble plate ceremony at the Zoran's former house in October 12, 1993 (Bora Dimitrijević's private archive)

Since 1991, Zaječar Theater carries his name, his former fellow citizens memorized him also by founding a theater festival “Zoran Radmilović’s Days“, while the street where his formed house is located is now named after him. In 2008 his statue was revealed at the center of the city. 

The detailed list of Zoran Radmilović’s roles: https://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Зоран_Радмиловић 


Zoran Radmilović's Statue. Photo: Mikica MIH Andrejić, 2019

Sources: 

Historical Archives "Timok Region" Zaječar

Wikipedia Page Zoran Radmilović: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoran_Radmilovi%C4%87


Zoran's first film role announced in the local newspaper "Timok" in 1962
One of the first interviews with Zoran, Timok Newspaper, 1967

HERE YOU CAN HEAR THE VOICE OF ZORAN RADMILOVIĆ, IN AN INTERVIEW BY TIHOMIR PAVLOVIĆ RECODED FOR RADIO ZAJEČAR ON SEPTEMBER 17th, 1981:

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