| Big Star, April 2000 |
| Croatia's Newest Star Tall, with dark matinee idol looks, Croatian actor Goran Visnjic garnered much attention with his first major English-language role in Michael Winterbottom's "Welcome to Sarajevo" (1997). He delivered a strong supporting turn as Risto, the driver and translator for a British news team covering the war in the Yugoslavia. Visnjic began acting while still a teenager. After completing the required military service in the Yugoslavian army, the Balkan war broke out and he briefly served in the Croatian army. Leaving the military, Visnjic joined the Croatian National Theatre. Cast in a production of "Hamlet", the 21-year old actor assumed the title role when the actor originally cast fell ill. He scored a success with his performance and went on to play the role in throughout Croatia. He found work in local TV productions and landed a Tuborg beer commercial that aired in Europe. Small roles in the TV-movie "Night Watch" and in "The Peacemaker" followed before Winterbottom cast him as Risto. |