Who Is Mira Banjac

Mira Banjac (born Mirjana Banjac) is a Serbian stage, film and television actress, born on 4 November 1929 in Erdevik. She belongs to the first generation of actors to graduate from the State Acting School in Novi Sad in 1950. Since then she has appeared on stage, in film and on television, and her career spans more than seven decades.

She played women from the common people, her most successful portrayals, with warmth and humor, and always with dignity. She is remembered for roles in films by Goran Paskaljević, Emir Kusturica and Goran Marković, as well as for the leading role in Stipe Delić’s series “Marija.” Because of the number of roles and the years she has spent on stage, she is often described as one of the greatest stars of Yugoslav and Serbian acting.

According to different sources, she has played between two hundred and three hundred roles and received about thirty awards, among them the Sterija Award, the Golden Arena and the Dobričin prsten. Several books have been written about her life and work, and for some years she was also considered the oldest Serbian actress.

Early Life and Childhood

Mira Banjac was born in Erdevik, in Srem, as Mirjana Banjac. Her mother’s name was Olga. According to a story repeated in her monographs, she was born early in the morning, to the sound of a brass band of the volunteer fire brigade that happened to be under her mother’s window.

By her own account, her childhood was difficult. In the authorized biography “Ne daj se” (“Don’t Give Up”), written by Tatjana Nježić, the actress revealed that her stubbornness as a girl was a form of defense and defiance, a way of saying that she would not give in despite everything. She was reluctant to return to those years, but she never hid them.

The War and First Performances

During the Second World War, as a fifteen-year-old, Mira spent a year in the cultural section of the First Proletarian Brigade. The jury of the Nušić theatre days later wrote that she began her “acting biography” in the cultural troupe, with which she traveled on foot from her native Erdevik to liberated Trieste and back. Sources differ on whether this was a brigade or a division.

She first stepped onto a stage in 1945 at the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, where she recited a poem about Zagreb at a gathering. One source says she made her debut as early as 1941, but most sources support the earlier story of the war years and 1945 as the start of her stage path.

During a visit to her home village, already a famous actress, she received a jar of sour cherry compote from her former teacher. She later described that gift as one of the most precious of her life.

Education

Mira Banjac studied at the State Acting School in Novi Sad. She was in the first generation of actors to finish that school in 1950, in the class of Jurij Rakitin. Some sources also state that she graduated from the Academy of Theatre, Film, Radio and Television in Belgrade, but most reliable sources confirm the school in Novi Sad.

At the entrance exam, as she recounted herself, at one point it seemed she had no chance of passing. One of the committee members then suggested giving her an improvisation, hoping to “pull something out” of her. It turned out she showed a talent that she soon confirmed on stage.

Beginning of Her Career

After graduating, Mira Banjac began her professional career in theatres outside the large centers. For about the first fifteen years she was exclusively a stage actress, and the roles from that period show how early she mastered her craft.

Sremska Mitrovica and Banja Luka

Her first professional engagement was at the theatre in Sremska Mitrovica. Already in her first years she played the eighty-year-old Ulita in Ostrovsky’s play “The Forest,” even though she was then about nineteen. Sources differ on the character’s age, mentioning both eighty and ninety, but all agree that it was a markedly elderly woman.

She then performed at the National Theatre in Banja Luka, where she played the deaf-mute Johnny Belinda. Roles like these, far from her age at the time, showed that she had specialized in character parts from a young age.

The Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad

She spent the most years of the first half of her career at the Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad. There she performed a large part of the repertoire, and her work on that stage marked one of the most important periods of her development. Audiences and critics in Novi Sad remembered her as an actress who breathes life into the ordinary woman.

The awards she received in that period, including the October Award of Novi Sad, confirmed her status. Because of these roles she is spoken of as a “diva of Novi Sad,” a title that stayed with her after she left for the capital.

Rise to Popularity

In the mid-1960s Mira Banjac, although still active in the theatre, turned to film and television. That move brought her great popularity across the former Yugoslavia and opened the way to her most significant roles.

Moving to Belgrade and Atelje 212

In 1970 she moved to Belgrade and became a member of Atelje 212. She spent about two decades in the capital, and after twenty-two years she returned to Novi Sad. At Atelje 212 she acted alongside giants of the national stage, among them Zoran Radmilović, Jelisaveta Seka Sablić and Ružica Sokić.

One of the best-known plays in which she appeared was “Radovan III,” a cult production that was the talk of the entire former Yugoslavia. In it Mira Banjac played Katica, the daughter of the character played by Zoran Radmilović, who works as a refrigerated truck driver. The audience would stand for hours in front of Atelje 212 to get tickets.

Television and the Series “Marija”

She received her first television role in 1964 in the film “Boj na Kosovu” (“The Battle of Kosovo”). During the 1970s she became a recognizable face on the small screen, appearing in television dramas and series. Among them stand out the leading role in director Stipe Delić’s series “Marija,” as well as several lead roles in dramas by Milenko Vučetić.

For her role in the series “Marija” she received the City of Zagreb Award. That role, as she herself later said, was a turning point and a great acting opportunity, for which she even had her hair cut down to the scalp.

Film Roles in the 1970s and 1980s

The seventies and eighties were the decades of her greatest workload. She appeared in a series of films, and her characters, often mothers, grandmothers and peasant women, became part of the collective memory. She was especially valued by directors who sought convincing portrayals of ordinary people, such as Goran Paskaljević.

In 1981 she won the Golden Arena at the Pula festival for her role in the film “Široko je lišće” (“The Leaves Are Wide”). In the same year she also appeared in “Do You Remember Dolly Bell?”, in which she played the mother, directed by Emir Kusturica. As in other works, her roles in those years formed the foundation of Yugoslav cinema.

Greatest Achievements

It is hard to single out one role in a career that has lasted seven decades, but several works are regularly mentioned as her peaks. All of them combined what critics described as her trademark: naturalness, humor and exceptional emotional truthfulness.

Film Roles

• “Beach Guard in Winter” (1976) – she played Milenija Pašanović, the mother of one of the main characters, in a film by Goran Paskaljević.
• “Ne naginji se van” (1977) – she played Mileva.
• “Majstori, majstori” (1980) – she played Ljiljana in a work by Goran Marković.
• “Široko je lišće” (1981) – the role of Jovanka for which she received the Golden Arena.
• “Do You Remember Dolly Bell?” (1981) – she played the mother in a film by Emir Kusturica.
• “Balkan Spy” (1984) – she played Danica Čvorović, and the film is among the best-known Yugoslav comedies.
• “The Elusive Summer of ’68” (1984) – she played Petar’s mother in a film by Goran Paskaljević.
• “Pretty Village, Pretty Flame” (1996) and “The Knife” (1999) – roles from the nineties.

She is also the author of the screenplay for the short film “Laku noć Šnjuka” (“Good Night, Šnjuka”), made in 1967 in collaboration with Živojin Žilnik.

Television Roles and Later Years of Her Career

On television she played a number of roles in series and dramas. Viewers remember her from productions such as “Seljaci,” “Lisice,” “Stižu dolari,” “Mješoviti brak,” “Bela lađa,” “Vratiće se rode,” “Šesto čulo” and “Koncentriši se, baba.” In the film “Ona voli Zvezdu” she played Baba Mara, and in the series “Seljaci” she played Draginja.

She kept working in her later years as well. She appeared in the film “72 Days” (2010), in “When Day Breaks” (2012) by Goran Paskaljević, in “Mamaroš” (2013), in “These Are the Rules” (2014), in the film “The High Sun” (2015) by Dalibor Matanić and in “Requiem for Mrs. J.” (2017) by Bojan Vuletić. For her role in “Mamaroš” she was also awarded in Brazil in 2014.

Private Life

Family

After finishing her studies, Mira Banjac met Andrej Jovanović in Sremska Mitrovica. Sources differ about his profession: some mention him as a forestry engineer, others as an architect. In 1951 they had a son, Branislav, a year after she graduated.

The marriage did not last, but they reportedly remained devoted parents. Mira Banjac never married again. She spoke of her son as her greatest love. Branislav, known as Brana, was a national weightlifting champion in his youth and spent his working life as a television cameraman. They lived together in Novi Sad.

The Loss of Her Son

Branislav Jovanović died on 6 February 2025 in a hospital in Sremska Kamenica, aged 74, after a brief illness. According to media reports, the cause was complications following pneumonia. Sources differ regarding his age, with some stating 75, but most mention 74.

The actress then made a brief statement saying that she no longer knew where she stood. Her birthday in November 2025 was marked in the shadow of that tragedy, and on that occasion she also said that the role she was then working on was her last. Citizens gathered in front of her building to give her a surprise for her 96th birthday.

Trivia

• She was born to the sound of a brass band of the volunteer fire brigade that was under her mother’s window.
• At nineteen she played, on stage, a woman of eighty or ninety.
• In Banja Luka she played the deaf-mute Johnny Belinda, and in Sremska Mitrovica Ulita in Ostrovsky’s “The Forest.”
• She worked as the screenwriter of the 1967 short film “Laku noć Šnjuka.”
• From early childhood until today, as she herself says, she “plays an ordinary woman because she is one herself.”
• The new cinema hall of Abazija in Palić bears her name.
• The Theatre Museum of Vojvodina and author Zoran Maksimović organized the photography exhibition “Faces of Mira Banjac,” presented at the Sopot Culture Center before the start of the Sopot Film Festival.
• The exhibition “Faces of Mira Banjac” was also held at Atelje 212 in May 2012, as part of the “Mucijevi dani” festival.
• She is considered one of the oldest active Serbian actresses, and the media have also called her the oldest Serbian actress.

Awards and Honors

Mira Banjac has received the greatest awards in Serbian theatre and film. According to different sources, she has received about thirty awards and honors over her career. Among the most significant are:

• Dobričin prsten – the highest acting lifetime achievement award in Serbia (according to IMDb, February 2001).
• Sterija Award – two awards (one source mentions three, so sources differ).
• Golden Arena in Pula – three awards according to one source, including the award for her role in the film “Široko je lišće” (1981).
• “Joakim Vujić” Statuette – in 1986, from the Knjaževsko-srpski teatar in Kragujevac.
• October Award of Novi Sad and October Award of Belgrade.
• Seventh of July Award.
• City of Zagreb Award – for her role in the series “Marija.”
• Golden Laurel Wreath for Lifetime Achievement – Sarajevo, 1991.
• “Pavle Vuisić” Award for lifetime achievement in film (according to IMDb, August 2008).
• “Žanka Stokić” Award – one of the most important acting honors in Serbia.
• Lifetime Achievement Award at the Nušić Theatre Days in Smederevo (presented on 16 April 2016).
• Award for her role in the film “Mamaroš” in Brazil (2014).
• Golden Medal for Merits of the Republic of Serbia.
• “Aleksandar Lifka” Award.
• Recognition for contribution to national cinematography at the Novi Sad Film Festival.

The justification for the lifetime achievement award in Smederevo stated that Mira Banjac “became part of general opinion and feeling.” It is an assessment that describes well her relationship with the audience.

Legacy and Influence

Mira Banjac entered the history of Balkan acting as a master of character roles. She portrayed peasant women, mothers, grandmothers, Muslim women and elderly women from Vojvodina, and each of those characters seemed like the neighbor we meet every day on the staircase. That authenticity is why the audience loves her and critics respect her.

She herself stressed that the theatre was what created her, while film and television complemented her career. She also compared theatre and film, noting that a play lasts only as long as it is performed, while a film remains forever. She always tied the value of her career to the people around her and the characters she played.

Several books have been devoted to her life and work, among them “Mirjana Mira Banjac – Jedna jedina” and the authorized biography “Ne daj se” by Tatjana Nježić. The new cinema hall in Palić bears her name, and younger generations of actors, such as Branislav Trifunović, have spoken of her with great respect.

Biography – Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Mira Banjac?

Mira Banjac is a Serbian stage, film and television actress, born in 1929 in Erdevik. Her career has lasted more than seven decades, and she is known for her roles as women from the common people.

When and where was Mira Banjac born?

Mira Banjac was born on 4 November 1929 in Erdevik, in Srem, which was then part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Her real name is Mirjana Banjac.

How old is Mira Banjac?

Mira Banjac was born in 1929, so in October 2026 she was 96 years old. She will celebrate her 97th birthday on 4 November 2026.

Is Mira Banjac still alive?

According to available sources at the time of writing (October 2026), Mira Banjac is alive. Her son Branislav died in February 2025.

Where did Mira Banjac go to school?

She graduated from the State Acting School in Novi Sad in 1950, in the class of Jurij Rakitin, in the first generation of graduates of that school.

Which theatres did Mira Banjac perform in?

She performed in theatres in Sremska Mitrovica and Banja Luka, and then at the Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad. From 1970 she was a member of Atelje 212 in Belgrade.

What are Mira Banjac’s best-known roles?

She is best known for roles in the films “Beach Guard in Winter,” “Do You Remember Dolly Bell?,” “Balkan Spy,” “The Elusive Summer of ’68” and “Široko je lišće,” as well as for the leading role in the series “Marija.” She is also remembered for the role of Katica in the play “Radovan III.”

Which awards has Mira Banjac won?

Among the most important awards are the Dobričin prsten, two Sterija Awards, the Golden Arena in Pula, the “Joakim Vujić” Statuette, the Golden Laurel Wreath for lifetime achievement and the “Žanka Stokić” award. She has also received several lifetime achievement awards.

Who was Mira Banjac’s son?

Mira Banjac’s son was named Branislav Jovanović. He was born in 1951, was a national weightlifting champion and worked as a television cameraman. He died on 6 February 2025 in Sremska Kamenica.

Conclusion

Mira Banjac is an actress whose name has become synonymous with seriousness, warmth and authenticity in Serbian acting. From her first performances in the war years, through the theatres of Sremska Mitrovica, Banja Luka and Novi Sad, to Atelje 212 and major film roles, she built a career lasting more than seven decades. The greatest honors, among them the Dobričin prsten and the Golden Arena, confirmed what audiences had long known.

Although her personal life was marked by the heavy loss of her son, Mira Banjac remains one of the most respected Serbian actresses. Her portrayals of women from the people still live on in films, series and in viewers’ memories.