Žarko Laušević, theatre, film and television actor, member of the Yugoslav Drama Theatre ensemble between 1982 and 1994, died today in Belgrade.
Born on 19th January, 1960 at Cetinje. Graduated in acting from the Faculty of Dramatic Art in Belgrade in 1982 and that same year joined the Yugoslav Drama Theatre.
His first appearance in a YDT production was in 1981 in The Crossroads. At the YDT, Laušević appeared in many notable productions such as The Croatian Faust, The Sufferings of Živojin, The Battle of Kolubara, Baal, Valjevo Hospital, L’Ilusion Comique, Fake Emperor Šćepan Mali...
Appeared in many theatre productions both in Belgrade and around former Yugoslavia such as The Mountain Wreath, Romeo and Juliet, The Original of the Forgery, The Little One, Charuga, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Waiting for Godot, The Glass Menagerie, Saint Sava, Kanjoš Macedonović…
Appeared in over thirty feature films, among them Death March, Strawberries in the Throat, The Beauty of Sin, Šmeker, It Happened on This Very Day, The Officer with a Rose, Oktoberfest, Braća po materi, The Original of the Forgery, The Black Bomber, Better Than Escape, The Knife, A Stinking Fairytale, How I Learned to Fly … His last appearance before an audience was at the film première of Heroes of Halyard in October this year.
Laušević appeared in a number of notable roles in television series such as The Grey Home, Vuk Karadžić, The Forgotten Ones, Black Sun, The Roots, Time of Evil, Civil Servant, The Kalkan Circles…
Recipient of a number of prestigious awards for his roles in film and theatre. For his performance in Kanjoš Macedonović, received the City Theatre award in Budva and the Zoran Radmilović award. His appearance in the production of Saint Sava won him the Sterijino Pozorje award.
His performance in the film of The Officer with a Rose won him the Golden Arena award at Pula and the Emperor Constantine award in Niš. He won two more Emperor Constantine awards at the Niš festival for his performances in It Happened on This Very Day and Oktoberfest and received the most important award of the Festival, the Naisus Grand Prix, for his performances in Better than Escape and A Stinking Fairytale.
Žarko Laušević also published several books – Godina Prođe, Dan Nikad, Druga Knjiga, Sve Prođe, pa i Doživotna, Padre, Idiote.
The times of memorial service and funeral will be announced in due course.
Foto 1: Hrvatski faust (arhiva JDP-a); Foto 2: Pozorišne iluzije (arhiva JDP-a); Foto 3: Teroristi (arhiva JDP-a); Foto 4: Pozorišne iluzije (foto Srdja Mirkovic)