Who is Milan Gutović

Milan Gutović, better known as Lane, ranks among the most beloved and recognizable actors of the Serbian and Yugoslav stage and screen in the second half of the twentieth and early twenty-first century. Born on August 11, 1946, Milan Gutović left an indelible mark on theatre, film, and television over a career spanning five decades, and is remembered above all for the role of Srećko Šojić in the film series Tesna koža and the series Bela lađa. He was a Serbian theatre, film, and television actor, comedian, and host, whose career lasted from the late 1960s until his death in 2021.Audiences across the former Yugoslavia remember him for a series of memorable roles, most of all for the character of Srećko Šojić, a farmer from southern Serbia whose distinctive speech and humor won over generations of viewers. Besides his film and television career, Milan Gutović was for decades a permanent member of the Yugoslav Drama Theatre, and later the leading dramatic actor of the National Theatre in Belgrade.Over the course of his career, he also tried his hand as the author of cabaret programs, showing that his artistic work was not limited solely to acting in front of the camera or on stage. Thanks to his versatility, Milan Gutović was regarded as one of the best comedians of his generation in the former Yugoslavia.

Early Life and Childhood

Milan Gutović was born on August 11, 1946, in the settlement of Umka, at the time a suburban part of Belgrade. He spent part of his childhood in Kaluđerica, in a family of educators. He grew up alongside his older sister, Bojana, who, as he later noted in rare interviews, retained a protective attitude toward him even into adulthood.According to available information, Milan Gutović was a calm and well-behaved child, and stood out at school as an excellent student. Although he grew up on the outskirts of Belgrade, sources note that he developed, at an early age, a certain aversion to the bustle of the city, which is why, it is said, he later chose in life to live away from the city center.

Education

When it came time to choose a university, Milan Gutović's original wish was to enroll at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. His sister, Bojana, who herself nursed unfulfilled acting ambitions, encouraged him to try the entrance exam at the Academy of Theatre, Film, Radio and Television in Belgrade (today the Faculty of Dramatic Arts). Milan Gutović was admitted to the Academy on his first attempt, where he studied acting under professors Milenko Maričić, Minja Dedić, and other teachers. He completed his studies in 1967.

Beginning of His Career

Immediately after finishing the Academy in 1967, Milan Gutović became a permanent member of the ensemble of the Yugoslav Drama Theatre (JDP). The theatre's director at the time, Bojan Stupica, decided to bring in fresh, younger talent to renew the acting ensemble, and a group of young actors, Gutović among them, was admitted to the JDP. This generation became known in theatre circles as "Bojan's Babies," and alongside Milan Gutović it included Gojko Šantić, Tanasije Uzunović, Dušan Đurić, Mirjana Vukojčić, Ivan Bekjarev, Đurđija Cvetić, Josip Tatić, Svetlana Bojković, and Branko Cvejić.Milan Gutović made his film debut in 1968, in Bekstva, directed by Radoš Novaković, in which he played the Yugoslav national hero Boško Palkovljević Pinki. The lead roles in the film were played by Velimir Bata Živojinović and Ljuba Tadić. In the years that followed, Gutović mostly took on supporting and minor roles, until in 1979 he was entrusted with his first major, leading film role.

Rise to Fame

The turning point in Milan Gutović's career was the 1979 film Drugarčine, directed by Milivoje Milošević, in which he played the character Džinga, a young partisan whose schooling was interrupted by the war. This role opened the door to new, more notable engagements.Milan Gutović achieved lasting fame in 1981, when he first played the character of Srećko Šojić in the film Laf u srcu. Audiences grew so fond of the character that the screenwriters decided to dedicate a whole film series to him, titled Tesna koža. The first installment was made in 1982, with sequels following in 1987, 1988, and 1991. The idea for the character of Srećko Šojić to speak in the dialect of southern Serbia came from Gutović himself — he found his inspiration in a bricklayer named Toma, who had worked at the school he attended as a child. In the second installment of the series, together with the group Rokeri s Moravu, he also sang the song "Tango Šojić."Milan Gutović later continued to cultivate the role of Srećko Šojić in the television series Bela lađa, through which he also became known to a younger generation of viewers who had not followed the original films from the 1980s and 1990s.

Greatest Successes

Besides the role of Srećko Šojić, Milan Gutović delivered numerous notable film, television, and stage performances. His filmography includes works such as Berlin kaput, Povratak otpisanih (in which he played Captain Todorović), Srećna porodica, Erogena zona, Još ovaj put, Boj na Kosovu, Debeli i mršavi, Majstor i šampita (as the character Marcipan), Špijun na štiklama, Poltron, Sedam i po, Mali svet, Kir Janja, Šmeker, Sumnjivo lice, Pokojnik, and Bela košulja.On the small screen, he is also remembered for roles in the series Diplomci, Sedam sekretara SKOJ-a, Bolji život (as Đankarlo Maroti), Metla bez drške, Otvorena vrata (as the lover Dragoslav), and Ono naše što nekad bejaše. A special place in his career is held by the title role in the series Pustolov, which aired on Radio Television Serbia from 1996 to 2003 and ran for more than four hundred episodes. A children's and young-adult book of the same name was also produced based on the series, which received the "Politikin zabavnik" and "Neven" awards.On the stage, Milan Gutović delivered notable performances in the productions Pučina, Buba u uhu, Otelo, Narodni poslanik, Gospođa ministarka, Kad su cvetale tikve, Ruženje naroda u dva dela, and Vesele žene vindzorske. From 2006 to 2012, he was the leading dramatic actor of the National Theatre in Belgrade, after a long-standing membership at the Yugoslav Drama Theatre, where he spent the period from 1967 to 2002.Milan Gutović also tried his hand as an author, reintroducing the cabaret format to the domestic stage in the 1980s. In this genre, he created the programs Kabare at the JDP (1986), Obično veče at the Slavija Theatre (2002), Izgubljena forma (2005), Začin (2009), as well as the television series Video kabare – Oralno doba (2008).

Private Life

Throughout his life, Milan Gutović was extremely careful to keep his private life away from the public eye, particularly when it came to his partners. He was married twice and had four children from these marriages — two daughters and two sons.The name of his first wife was never made publicly known. He was with her for about three decades and had two daughters, Milica and Nevena. After their divorce, which took place more than thirty years ago, the former spouses, according to available sources, remained on friendly terms. His daughter Milica Gutović followed in her father's footsteps and works in acting and ballet, and audiences have been able to see her in productions such as Mešoviti brak, Urgentni centar, Hotel sa sedam zvezdica, Ivkova slava, and Beli lavovi. His other daughter, Nevena, has not sought public exposure.After his first marriage, Milan Gutović entered a second marriage with Biljana Knežević, who, according to media reports, worked at the Terazije Theatre, where from 2018 she served as head of the ballet ensemble. From this marriage, which lasted around ten years, he had sons Spasoje and Jakov (Janko). The couple divorced in 2011, without public scandal, and the sons stayed to live with their father after the divorce.Milan Gutović lived for a long time in the Kumodrež settlement on the outskirts of Belgrade, away from the bustle of the city, which, by his own account, he never liked. He was not known for a bohemian lifestyle — in rare interviews he noted that he had tried that way of living, but that the experience had put him off nightlife for good.In June 2021, media reported that Milan Gutović had canceled all the productions in which he had been performing, after his health deteriorated following a bout of COVID-19. The actor was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia. On August 13, 2021, he was admitted to the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade on suspicion of coronavirus, although his tests were negative at the time. The medical team treating him believed it to be post-COVID syndrome, that is, the after-effects of his earlier infection. Before being placed on a ventilator, he spent several days on a so-called high-flow mask, through which he received oxygen.Milan Gutović died on August 25, 2021, at 3:45 PM, at the age of 75, at the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade. He was buried in the family plot in Kumodrež, attended by numerous friends, colleagues, and family members.

Trivia

Milan Gutović was a great animal lover, and for a time kept ducks, goats, and chickens in his yard. His favorite comedian was Miloš Žutić. In his free time, he most liked to watch programs about nature, history, and crime in Russia, and he also enjoyed going fishing and visiting cafés with quiet live music. In his final years, he was especially attached to a weekend settlement in Neuzine, where he had his own residential container, in which he liked to spend time alone and devote himself to fishing. In 2016, artist Andreja Josifovski dedicated a mural to him on Bežanijska kosa in Belgrade, paying tribute to his contribution to domestic culture during his lifetime. It is also interesting to note that Gutović was set to reprise the role of Srećko Šojić in a sequel, Tesna koža 5, which was never filmed or released to the public.

Awards and Recognition

Over the course of his career, Milan Gutović received a number of significant theatre honors. For his role in the production Pučina, directed by Dejan Mijač, he was honored at the Sterija Theatre Festival. He also won the "Ćuran" statuette for best acting achievement at the Days of Comedy in Jagodina (then Svetozarevo), as well as the Yugoslav Drama Theatre's Annual Award. For his role in the production Ruženje naroda u dva dela, he received the "Zoran Radmilović" award for acting bravura, while his role in Vesele žene vindzorske earned him the "Raša Plaović" award.For his overall contribution to acting, Milan Gutović also received two lifetime achievement awards — the "Zlatni ćuran," awarded in 2019, and the Nušić Award, given in 2020, just a year before his death.

Legacy and Influence

The character of Srećko Šojić, which Milan Gutović created in the early 1980s, is still regarded today as one of the most recognizable comic characters in the history of Yugoslav and Serbian cinema. His distinctive speech, humor, and manner of portraying a character from southern Serbia have remained part of popular culture decades after the films in the Tesna koža series were first shown. The mural dedicated to Gutović on Bežanijska kosa in Belgrade attests to how present his character remains in the public consciousness even today.Following Milan Gutović's death, the public also closely followed the family story concerning a dispute over his will, in which his daughter Milica Gutović claimed that she and her sister Nevena had been denied their share of the inheritance. This story, although concerning a private family matter, further showed just how interested the public remains in the life and legacy of this actor even after his passing.

Biography — Frequently Asked Questions

When was Milan Gutović born? Milan Gutović was born on August 11, 1946, in the settlement of Umka, at the time a suburban part of Belgrade.When and how did Milan Gutović die? Milan Gutović died on August 25, 2021, at the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade, at the age of 75, from health complications related to post-COVID syndrome, including bilateral pneumonia.What is Milan Gutović best known for? Milan Gutović is best known for the role of Srećko Šojić in the film series Tesna koža and the television series Bela lađa.Where did Milan Gutović study acting? He studied at the Academy of Theatre, Film, Radio and Television in Belgrade, graduating in 1967 in the class of Professor Milenko Maričić.Did Milan Gutović have children? Yes, Milan Gutović had four children from two marriages — daughters Milica and Nevena, and sons Spasoje and Jakov.Which theatre did Milan Gutović work at? He was a permanent member of the Yugoslav Drama Theatre from 1967 to 2002, and from 2006 to 2012 he was the leading dramatic actor of the National Theatre in Belgrade.What awards did Milan Gutović win? He won an award at the Sterija Theatre Festival, the "Ćuran" statuette, the "Zoran Radmilović" award, the "Raša Plaović" award, as well as the lifetime achievement awards "Zlatni ćuran" (2019) and the Nušić Award (2020).Where is Milan Gutović buried? Milan Gutović is buried in the family plot in Kumodrež, Belgrade.Was Milan Gutović married? He was married twice. The name of his first wife was never publicly revealed, while his second wife was Biljana Knežević, from whom he divorced in 2011.Who played Srećko Šojić after Milan Gutović? This information is not covered by this biography and has not been reliably confirmed in available sources, and is therefore not included, so as not to present an unconfirmed claim.

Conclusion

Milan Gutović is remembered as one of the most important Serbian actors of the second half of the twentieth century, whose body of work spanned theatre, film, and television. From modest beginnings at the Yugoslav Drama Theatre, through the role that made him famous — Srećko Šojić from Tesna koža and Bela lađa — to his years of work at the National Theatre in Belgrade, Milan Gutović built a career that defined several generations of viewers. Although he strictly guarded his private life from the public, he left behind four children and a rich artistic legacy that still lives on today through the films, series, and plays in which he performed. He died on August 25, 2021, in Belgrade, but the character of Srećko Šojić and his contribution to Serbian culture remain permanently remembered.