Who Is Dušan Stojanović

Dušan Stojanović is a Serbian stage, television and comedy actor from Novi Sad, born in 1985. He is best known to wider audiences for playing the apprentice Mikica in the comedy series “Prvi servis”, which he has starred in alongside Marko Gvero since 2016.

Besides his television work, he is engaged at the Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad, where he appears in the productions “Fiddler on the Roof”, “Put oko sveta” and “Totovi”. Before choosing acting, he swam competitively and played water polo.

This biography follows how Dušan Stojanović made his way from a childhood in Novi Sad’s Klisa neighborhood to the theatre stage and one of Serbia’s most popular online comedy series.

Early Life and Childhood

Dušan Stojanović was born in 1985 in Novi Sad and grew up in the Klisa neighborhood. His exact date of birth has not been confirmed in reliable public sources.

When he was a child, Klisa was divided into smaller areas, including Slana bara, Vidovdansko naselje, Mali Beograd and Veliki rit. He grew up in the lower part of the neighborhood, where he attended a local primary school until fifth grade, after which he joined other pupils at a larger school. He describes himself as a restless child and an average pupil, with a primary-school grade average of 3.33.

His class included many children who had fled Bosnia during the wars of the 1990s. By his account, around twenty-five of roughly thirty pupils were refugees. His own family also has roots elsewhere: his maternal grandfather moved from the Lika region in 1964 and built a house the same year, while his father comes from the area around Đavolja Varoš.

The family has always been hardworking and enterprising. His mother ran a tavern in Klisa throughout her working life, and his father still makes slippers that he sells at the Liman market. His older brother devoted himself to sports, while Dušan helped his father with the family business from an early age.

Education

Primary School and Gymnasium

When choosing a secondary school, he first wanted to enroll in a medical school because of his best friend, but his grades did not allow it. He then prepared documents for a civil engineering school. At that point a neighbor who sold eggs told him that a new gymnasium, Laza Kostić, was opening. It was meant to be a branch of another Novi Sad gymnasium but started as an independent school. Stojanović enrolled in its very first generation.

Since he had trained in swimming for years and later in water polo, he enrolled in the sports class. He quit sport when he moved from swimming to water polo because, as he jokingly puts it, he swims well but cannot play with a ball.

At the gymnasium his literature teacher was Vukašin Lazović, who later became the school’s director. Lazović formed a strong school drama group. Stojanović never performed in it, but he regularly went to watch the plays, and some of his friends from the group are now successful actors and directors.

Acting Studies

After the gymnasium he did his military service and, on returning, enrolled at the Faculty of Agriculture. He lasted only a month there because he realized it did not interest him. He then turned to Professor Lazović, who, despite health problems, gave him material to prepare for an entrance exam. On Lazović’s recommendation, the actor Ljubiša Milišić coached him for the exam.

His first attempt to enroll at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad was unsuccessful, and on his application he copied the CV of another candidate, which the committee noticed right away. Still, he did not give up. At the private BK University (BK fakultet), Professor Nebojša Dugalić accepted him into his class, among only six students chosen from around a hundred and twenty candidates.

The tuition was high, so in his third year he transferred to the Faculty of Fine Arts in Belgrade (Fakultet lepih umetnosti), into the class of Professor Nebojša Bradić. There he completed his acting studies.

Beginning of His Career

Before settling on comedy, Stojanović struggled most with dramatic roles. That is why Ljubiša Milišić’s advice before the entrance exam stayed with him: he encouraged him by saying that not being good at drama does not mean he is not an excellent comedian. That advice proved right.

His first major professional turning point came through television. It all started with a hidden-camera sketch that was supposed to be filmed for the series “Vrele gume”. From that idea the series “Prvi servis” emerged spontaneously, and Mara Snendžić recommended him for the role.

Rise to Popularity

“Prvi servis” began airing in May 2016, first on YouTube, where it gradually built a loyal audience. According to figures from 2022, each episode drew hundreds of thousands of views. The series was later also broadcast on Radio-Television of Vojvodina (RTV).

Popularity also brought Stojanović unexpected everyday situations. In the early years people stopped him on the street, called out “Mikica!” and asked for photos. Some asked him to change a light bulb, and a few even checked his fingernails to see whether they were black with oil. He explains that in real life he is not a car mechanic and has nothing to do with mechanics.

Besides “Prvi servis”, he appeared in several episodes of the cult series “Državni posao”, to which “Prvi servis” is closely linked through shared writers and actors.

The Role of Mikica in Prvi Servis

How the Series Came About

Radio-Television of Vojvodina describes “Prvi servis” as the first Serbian mockumentary series. The story takes place in a small auto repair shop owned by master mechanic Hranislav Đrić, played by Marko Gvero. Hranislav is helped by his apprentice Mikica, and the pair’s business plans regularly fail, producing a string of comic situations.

The creator and head writer is Mladen Urdarević, who also plays Branislav, a customer whose job the mechanic can never finish. He is assisted on the scripts by Dejan Ćirjaković, Nikola Škorić and Dimitrije Banjac, and the series is directed by Živa Stanojević. Urdarević names the American series “The Office” as his model for the mockumentary format. The name of master Hranislav is a tribute to the character of the same name in Goran Marković’s film “Specijalno vaspitanje”.

The Character of Mikica

Stojanović plays Miroslav Balja, known as Mikica. According to the description on the Serbian Wikipedia, Mikica has a much older girlfriend, Pavica, loves rap music and tries unsuccessfully to make it under the stage name Ajron Majk. In one interview, Stojanović said he is not exactly on friendly terms with mechanics, and that the master mechanic in whose workshop the series is filmed helps him with the work.

The Cast and Working Method

Besides Gvero and Stojanović, the series features Tanja Pjevac, Strahinja Bojović as the swindler Safet and Srđan Timarov as Elektro Laci. The director of photography is Silard Kovač. Stojanović describes the crew as top professionals and says he has only good memories from the shoots.

In 2022, director Živa Stanojević said they shoot four episodes in a single day and that about a third of the material is improvised. Stojanović, however, says the team mostly sticks to the script and that improvisation happens roughly every third shoot, when the whole crew starts laughing.

Theatre Work at the Serbian National Theatre

Although audiences associate him most with television and comedy, Dušan Stojanović considers the theatre a very important part of his life. At the Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad he appears in the productions “Fiddler on the Roof”, “Put oko sveta” and “Totovi”.

He has been performing in “Fiddler on the Roof” for eleven years, and by his account it has been staged around seventy times since its premiere. He stresses that all three productions are regularly on the repertoire and that the hall is always full. He describes acting as a craft that a person must love and feel.

Greatest Achievements

• The role of the apprentice Mikica in “Prvi servis”, which has run since 2016 and draws large viewing numbers on YouTube.
• Performances in “Fiddler on the Roof”, “Put oko sveta” and “Totovi” at the Serbian National Theatre.
• Guest appearances in several episodes of the cult series “Državni posao”.
• Strong recognition among audiences, who call him by his character’s name even off set.

Personal Life

Dušan Stojanović is married and has a daughter and a son with his wife. He describes his family as wonderful and rarely talks about private details, so this biography includes only what he has shared publicly. He lives and works in Novi Sad, the city where he was born.

Interesting Facts

• Before acting, he swam and played water polo, but he left sport because of his weaker ball skills.
• As a pupil he had a 3.33 primary-school average and did not consider himself a good student.
• For a long time he helped his father make slippers and sell them at the market, and later drove a van.
• In one episode of “Prvi servis” (the 55th), he plays the mobile game Brawl Stars.
• Once, a stranger on the street thanked him for something he knew nothing about, and he had himself said the same sentence to Darko Rundek long ago.

Legacy and Influence

“Prvi servis” is part of Novi Sad’s strong scene of short-form series, which was also driven by “Državni posao”. The series showed that humor close to viewers can be made without a large production.

As Mikica, Dušan Stojanović has become one of the more recognizable faces of Serbian online comedy. At the same time, he is building a theatre career at the Serbian National Theatre, which shows that he can combine humor with stage work.

Biography – Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Dušan Stojanović?

Dušan Stojanović is an actor and comedian from Novi Sad, known for playing the apprentice Mikica in the series “Prvi servis”. He is also engaged at the Serbian National Theatre.

When and where was Dušan Stojanović born?

He was born in 1985 in Novi Sad and grew up in the Klisa neighborhood. His exact date of birth has not been confirmed in reliable sources.

What role does Dušan Stojanović play in the series Prvi servis?

He plays the apprentice Miroslav Balja, known as Mikica, who helps master mechanic Hranislav in an auto repair shop.

What is the series Prvi servis?

It is a mockumentary comedy series that has been shown on YouTube since 2016 and was later also broadcast on Radio-Television of Vojvodina.

Where did Dušan Stojanović study?

He attended the Laza Kostić Gymnasium in Novi Sad, studied acting at BK University, and then graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts in Belgrade, in the class of Nebojša Bradić.

In which theatre productions does Dušan Stojanović perform?

At the Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad he appears in “Fiddler on the Roof”, “Put oko sveta” and “Totovi”.

Is Dušan Stojanović really a car mechanic?

No. He explains that in real life he has nothing to do with mechanics, even though audiences often associate him with the character of Mikica.

Is Dušan Stojanović married and does he have children?

He is married and the father of two children, a daughter and a son. Other private details are not publicly known.

Did Dušan Stojanović appear in Državni posao?

Yes, he appeared in several episodes of the series “Državni posao”, which is closely linked to “Prvi servis”.

Where can Prvi servis be watched?

The series is shown on YouTube and has also been broadcast on Radio-Television of Vojvodina.

Conclusion

Dušan Stojanović is a Novi Sad actor whose path from Klisa, through swimming pools and entrance exams, led to the role of Mikica in “Prvi servis”. Alongside Marko Gvero and Mladen Urdarević’s team, he became a recognizable face of Serbian online comedy. At the same time, he performs at the Serbian National Theatre, where he appears in several productions. His biography shows how persistence and a sense of humor can lead to success.