Who Is Gordan Kičić

Gordan Kičić (born in Belgrade on 5 August 1977) is a Serbian actor, director and producer, one of the most recognizable faces of Serbian theatre, film and television. He is a permanent member of the Atelje 212 ensemble in Belgrade. Audiences remember him for the role of the Monk in the series Balkan Shadows (Senke nad Balkanom) and for the comic role of Rajko in the series Otvorena vrata.

He made his debut as a film director in 2019 with Realna priča, in which he also played the lead. He also works as a producer, and he has lent his voice to many animated characters, including Garfield and Sheriff Woody. Critics and audiences value his ability to combine dramatic and comic registers within a single role.

Early Life and Childhood

Gordan Kičić was born in Belgrade on 5 August 1977, in what was then the Socialist Republic of Serbia within Yugoslavia. He grew up in a family whose members were successful in their fields. His father is the director Branislav Kičić, his mother is a lawyer, and his grandfather Miroljub Kičić was a well-known physician.

According to Kurir, he chose his profession with his heart and from an early age, and his father was a great support to him. The actor himself said that at the start it was important to him not to be labeled as someone’s son. For that reason he wanted to build a career that would be entirely his own.

As a child he spent summers in Tribunj near Vodice in Dalmatia. There he met the great Serbian actor Mija Aleksić, who loved to fish, while the children gathered around him in the evenings to listen to his stories. Kičić later said that the award bearing Mija’s name means a great deal to him precisely because of those memories.

He passed his driving test at the age of 18. He likes to drive shorter stretches around Serbia, while long journeys do not appeal to him.

Education

Gordan Kičić graduated in acting from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade, in the class of Professor Predrag Bajčetić. According to the portal Nova.rs, he graduated in 2001. Wikipedia states only that he completed this faculty, so the year of graduation is confirmed by a single source.

The late Professor Bajčetić left a mark on his studies, and the actor said that he later maintained a good relationship with him. Even before graduating, he became a member of the Atelje 212 ensemble, one of the leading theatres in this part of Europe.

Early Career

He made his film debut in 1996 in the film Do koske, in the role of Erceg. Smaller roles in films from the second half of the 1990s followed. Among them were Land of Truth, Love and Freedom (1997), Bekstvo and Natalija (1998), as well as Sky Hook and Proputovanje (1999).

At the turn of the century he appeared in the films Dorćol-Manhattan, War Live (Rat uživo) and Mehanizam. At the same time he was building his theatre engagement, as he appeared in more than forty productions at Atelje 212. In this way, from the very beginning of his career, he established himself as an actor equally strong on stage and in front of the camera.

Rise to Popularity

First Significant Film Roles

The turning point came with roles in the films War Live, Little Night Music (Mala noćna muzika), When I Grow Up, I’ll Be a Kangaroo (Kad porastem biću kengur), Seven and a Half (Sedam i po) and Ustanička ulica. Wikipedia lists them as the works that raised Kičić to prominence among leading young actors. However, that claim has no reference on Wikipedia itself.

In 2002 he played the character of Laki in the cult series and film Lavirint. For that role he was nominated for the Apollo Award at the Belgrade Culture Festival. Then, in the 2009 film Čekaj me, ja sigurno neću doći, he played the vulnerable Alek, alongside Mirjana Karanović and Miloš Samolov. For that role he received the Emperor Constantine Award (“Car Konstantin”) for Best Supporting Actor.

That same year, in the film Poslednja audijencija, he portrayed the young Nikola Pašić. He also appeared in the films Ma nije on takav, Beli lavovi, Tri policajca, Ubice mog oca and Četiri ruže. In 2019 he appeared in Ajvar, a film by the director Sergej Trifunović.

Series That Brought Him Closer to a Wider Audience

On television he earlier appeared in the series Lift, and then in Kako su me ukrali Nemci and Jagodići. In the Jagodići franchise he played Branko Jagodić in both the series and the films. He defined the series Otvorena vrata as the clumsy Rajko, and in the series Vojna akademija he played the character Branković.

His greatest television success came with the series Balkan Shadows, in which he played Alimpije Mirić, also known as the Monk (Kaluđer). According to Kurir, the role was originally planned for another actor. At a screen test Kičić convinced Dragan Bjelogrlić that it should be entrusted to him. This character is often cited as proof that he also copes superbly with negative roles.

Work in the Theatre

Atelje 212

Gordan Kičić is a permanent member of Atelje 212, where he has appeared in more than forty productions. Among the notable titles are Don Juan, The Government Inspector (Revizor), Amadeus and Spamalot. In 2010 he appeared in the musical Hair, alongside Sergej Trifunović, Branislav Trifunović, Ivan Jevtović, Jelena Gavrilović and Katarina Žutić.

For his role as Berger in that production he received the “Zoran Radmilović” Award. At Atelje 212 he also appeared in the plays Noćna straža and Obraćanje naciji. Of the latter, he said in 2023 that the whole production is a serious interaction with the audience.

Yugoslav Drama Theatre

He has also worked at the Yugoslav Drama Theatre. He appeared in the productions Smrt, Samo sivi dani and Coriolanus, as well as in the duodrama Vazda with Radovan Vujović. With Jelena Stupljanin he was a direct partner in the production Razvaljivanje.

According to Wikipedia, he also took part in radio dramas, which makes him a versatile actor equally at home on stage, in front of the camera and at the microphone.

Voice Acting and Dubbing

Kičić is the official Serbian voice of Garfield in the animated series Garfield and Friends and in the films Garfield and Garfield 2. He also lent his voice to Sheriff Woody in the Serbian version of the Toy Story franchise. In addition, he worked on titles such as Shark Tale, Ratatouille, The Simpsons Movie, Shrek the Third, Bee Movie and Rango.

These details come mostly from Wikipedia, and some of the titles have no separate reference. They should therefore be read as an approximate overview of his dubbing work.

Producing and Directing Work

Ustanička ulica and Aleksi

Kičić stepped into producing in 2012 with the thriller Ustanička ulica, directed by Miroslav Miša Terzić. In it he also played the lead role. In a conversation for Vreme, he said he wanted to make films he would himself like to watch, above all socially engaged ones. To prepare, he spoke with people from the Special Court for War Crimes to see whether a film could be made from their work. He also produced the project Aleksi.

Realna priča and Mama i tata se igraju rata

His directorial debut followed in November 2019 with the dramedy Realna priča. In it Kičić is the producer, screenwriter, director and lead actor. He plays Veljko Radisavljević, a middle-aged actor whose career has stagnated for a decade, so he has to perform in commercials and plays he does not like.

A review in Vreme described the film as a “film of normalization”, an unpretentious work that offers audiences content they can easily identify with. It also noted that the acting affectation for which he was known is considerably toned down here. For this project he received the “Mija Aleksić – Being an Actor” award.

The continuation of the story became the series Mama i tata se igraju rata, which Kičić produced and in which he stars. He directed the first five episodes, and the remaining five were directed by Vladimir Tagić. Broadcasting began on 17 October 2020. According to Kurir in 2023, a third season is being prepared.

Greatest Achievements

Among Gordan Kičić’s greatest achievements are the roles of the Monk in Balkan Shadows and Rajko in Otvorena vrata. There are also the lead roles in the films Čekaj me, ja sigurno neću doći and Realna priča. In the theatre he is most noted as Berger in the production Hair, for which he won the “Zoran Radmilović” Award.

He remains active on the theatre stage, and in 2026 the play Istina (The Truth) premiered at the Bitef Theatre. In it Kičić is both actor and producer, performing alongside Milica Trifunović, Nebojša Ilić and Tamara Dragićević, under the direction of Damjan Kecojević. The play was written by Florian Zeller.

Recent Roles and Projects

In the 2023 thriller Nemirni, Kičić plays a character searching for his kidnapped brother. He shared most of his scenes with Ana Mandić, Strahinja Blažić, Anica Dobra and Jelena Stupljanin. He described the story as a braid in which several strands come together only in the middle of the series. He filmed a good part of the driving himself, with around ten stunt drivers in other vehicles.

That same year he took part in the series V efekat, which Kurir described as a series that delighted viewers, and his character is Vladan Vidović. In a 2024 conversation with Kurir he said that preparations for the series began in February, while filming lasted through May, June and July. He noted that there is no glamour in their line of work, but that there should not be.

It is also known that he appears in a film about Goli Otok that is being made from the story “Ostrvo na dnu” by his grandfather Miroljub Kičić. About that project Kičić says he is only an actor and supports it in every way.

Personal Life

Gordan Kičić has daughters, and he spoke about his approach to children in a conversation with Kurir. He said he advises them to seek what makes them fulfilled, not necessarily happy. As a recipe for keeping a family together, he named being present both mentally and physically, while knowing one’s priorities in life.

His father, the director Branislav Kičić, has died, and he was buried at the Novo groblje cemetery in Belgrade. According to Telegraf, many actors attended the funeral, among them Nina Janković, Petar Benčina, Aleksandar Đurica, Tihomir Stanić, Bane Trifunović and Dragan Bjelogrlić.

Since December 2021, Kičić has been a member of the Assembly of the Crvena zvezda Basketball Club, elected to a five-year term. Information about his spouse and other family members has not been confirmed in reliable sources, so this article does not state it.

Interesting Facts

• His grandfather Miroljub Kičić was a well-known physician, and a film about Goli Otok is being prepared from his story “Ostrvo na dnu”.
• As a child he met the actor Mija Aleksić in Tribunj near Vodice, whose name is carried by the award he received in 2020.
• The role of the Monk in Balkan Shadows was originally intended for another actor, but Kičić convinced Dragan Bjelogrlić at a screen test to entrust it to him.
• He is the official Serbian voice of Garfield.
• In the series Nemirni he filmed most of the driving stunt scenes himself, with around ten stunt drivers in accompanying vehicles.
• He has been a member of the Assembly of the Crvena zvezda Basketball Club since December 2021.

Awards and Recognition

• “Mija Aleksić – Being an Actor” award (2020), presented in Gornji Milanovac. The decision was made by Nenad Jezdić and Nebojša Dugalić, previous laureates.
• “Zoran Radmilović” Award (2010) for the role of Berger in the production Hair.
• Emperor Constantine Award (“Car Konstantin”) for Best Supporting Actor for the film Čekaj me, ja sigurno neću doći. According to Nova.rs, he received it twice at the Film Encounters in Niš.
• Best Actor award at the Arena in Novi Sad.
• “Zoranov brk” award at the Days of Zoran Radmilović in Zaječar.
• Nomination for the Apollo Award at the Belgrade Culture Festival for his role in Lavirint.

Legacy and Influence

The citation for the “Mija Aleksić – Being an Actor” award highlights Kičić’s enviable range of creations, both dramatic and comic. As Jezdić and Dugalić state, within a single role he often skillfully combines different genre registers. They also mention his ability to surrender to play with a partner on stage.

As a producer and director he has shown that actors in Serbia increasingly step into authorial work, with examples such as Dragan Bjelogrlić and Mirjana Karanović. Through his projects on stage and screen he contributes to contemporary Serbian expression, and many of his characters, from the Monk to Rajko, have become part of popular culture.