Who Is Ružica Sokić

Ružica Sokić (Belgrade, 14 December 1934 – Belgrade, 19 December 2013) was a Serbian and Yugoslav film, stage and television actress. Over a career spanning more than five decades, she played about 180 roles on film and television, along with a large number of stage roles, above all at Belgrade’s Atelje 212 theatre.

Audiences remember her for several unforgettable characters. Among them are the streetwalker in the film Žuta, Persida Pantić in the Tesna koža film series, Veliborka in the series Srećni ljudi and Taska in the film Zona Zamfirova. She often played strong, witty and seductive women, and that conviction earned her the affection of audiences and colleagues alike.

She received numerous honors, including the Velika Žanka and the Dobričin prsten awards. She also wrote a memoir, Strast za letenjem (Passion for Flying). This biography follows her path from childhood in Belgrade’s Zvezdara district to her standing as one of the most respected actresses of Yugoslav and Serbian theatre.

Early Life and Childhood

Ružica Sokić was born on 14 December 1934 in Belgrade, then the capital of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. She was the daughter of Petar Sokić (1893–1964), a merchant and co-owner of the evening newspaper “Pravda”. Her mother, Vukosava, was the daughter of a priest from Banja Luka, and Ružica spent part of her childhood in that city on the Vrbas river.

She grew up in the family apartment on Bregalnička Street in Zvezdara. Already in primary school she attended a drama club, where, according to media reports, her Serbian language and literature teacher recognized her talent. As a girl she was also a member of the Children’s Radio Drama Group of Radio Belgrade, her first serious encounter with acting.

The war and postwar years left a deep mark on the family. According to her earlier statements to the media, her father was sentenced to death during the occupation but was released and returned to Belgrade. After the war he was left without civil rights, and the family lost its printing house and had to share their apartment with other people. Ružica said it was a hard period filled with fear, yet she never hated anyone.

One of her well-known remarks dates from those years: that a hairdresser’s family was “moved into” their apartment, as was the practice of the time. Despite everything, she remained a warm and cheerful person, and the experience of a difficult childhood later gave depth to her roles.

Education

After primary and secondary school, Ružica Sokić enrolled in acting at the Academy of Theatre Arts in Belgrade, today’s Faculty of Dramatic Arts. She graduated in 1958, in a generation that entered theatre life at a time of great flourishing for the Belgrade stage.

Later she passed her knowledge on to younger performers. From 1996 to 2000 she led an acting class at the “Braća Karić” Academy of Arts. In this way she taught the experience she had gained on stage and in front of the camera to new generations of actors.

Beginning of Her Career

She took her first professional steps on the stage of the Contemporary Theatre (Savremeno pozorište) in Belgrade. She then moved to Atelje 212, where she remained for many years. Sources differ on the exact year of the move: both 1961 and 1962 are mentioned. It is certain that she spent thirty-seven seasons at this theatre.

She first appeared on film in 1957, in one segment of the omnibus Subotom uveče (Saturday Night) directed by Vladimir Pogačić, as a fan, uncredited. (Some sources give Doktor as her first film, so the data differ.) A few television films and smaller roles followed, including the role in Zemljaci (1963) by Zdravko Randić and in Marš na Drinu (1964) by Živorad Žika Mitrović.

Her first larger film role came in the drama Gorki deo reke (The Bitter Part of the River, 1965) by Jovan Živanović. For it, according to most sources, she received the Silver Arena at the Pula Film Festival. That award heralded an actress who would mark Yugoslav cinema for decades to come.

Rise to Popularity

The second half of the 1960s was a turning point. She appeared in the omnibus Vreme ljubavi (1966) and then in Bokseri idu u raj (1967) by Branko Čelović. In the same year she played in the drama Ljubavni slučaj ili tragedija službenice P.T.T. by Dušan Makavejev.

She stood out particularly in Kad budem mrtav i beo (When I Am Dead and Gone, 1967) by Živojin Pavlović, playing a singer. That role confirmed her talent and showed that she moved just as convincingly in dramatic and comic registers. Roles followed in Ima ljubavi, nema ljubavi (1968) and in Ljubav i poneka psovka (1969) by Antun Vrdoljak.

In parallel she built a successful television career. She played the lead female role in the series Ceo život za godinu dana (1971) and also appeared in Samci, Rađanje radnog naroda and Hronika palanačkog groblja. She was also noticed in television comedies by Branislav Crnčević and Aleksandar Popović.

Over the years she built lasting collaborations with directors such as Zdravko Randić, Živorad Žika Mitrović, Vladimir Tadej, Goran Paskaljević and Dragan Kresoja. It was these filmmakers who gave her room to develop her recognizable acting voice.

Greatest Successes on Film and Television

The peak of Ružica Sokić’s film career is tied to Žuta (1973) by Vladimir Tadej. In the role of a streetwalker she delivered a striking, layered performance, and for it she received the Golden Arena at the Pula Film Festival. According to Wikipedia, she received the Golden Arena in 1973 and 1974, the second time for Užička republika (1974) by Žika Mitrović. With Tadej she also worked on Hitler iz našeg sokaka (1975), Hajdučka vremena (1977) and Pakleni otok (1979).

With Goran Paskaljević she made Čuvar plaže u zimskom periodu (The Beach Guard in Winter, 1976) and later Tango argentino (1992). She also appeared in Poznajete li Pavla Pleša?, Nije nego, Savamala, Bal na vodi and in Seobe (Migrations) by Aleksandar Petrović.

Her greatest popularity came from the comedy Tesna koža. She played Persida Pantić, wife of Mita Pantić, who is played by Nikola Simić. The series has four parts (1982, 1987, 1988 and 1991), and the relationship of this married couple remains one of the best-loved comic motifs in domestic cinema.

In Druga Žikina dinastija (1986) she played the daughter-in-law Ruža. In the series Srećni ljudi (1995–1996) she played Veliborka Veca. With Dragan Kresoja she worked on the films Oktoberfest, Original falsifikata, Pun mesec nad Beogradom and Tamna je noć.

Later in her career she had great success as Taska in the box-office hit Zona Zamfirova (2002). She then played godmother Anica in the series Greh njene majke (2009–2010). She also appeared in the series Lift, Jelena, Gorki plodovi and Nepobedivo srce. According to different sources, her final roles came in the early 2010s, and her name also appears in the credits of some later projects.

Atelje 212 and Stage Roles

Although audiences know her best from film and television, Ružica Sokić was first and foremost a stage actress. At Atelje 212 she performed in about seventy productions. In the early 1960s the director Bojan Stupica gathered a brilliant company at that theatre, which included Slobodan Cica Perović, Tanja Beljakov, Maja Čučković, Vlada Popović, Dejan Čavić, Bata Stojković, Bora Todorović, Taško Načić and Milutin Butković, and later Zoran Radmilović.

Among her most important roles is Honey in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Ko se boji Virdžinije Vulf). The actor Petar Božović remarked that this production gave two great acting names, Vlada Popović and Ružica Sokić. She also played Gloria in Tigar, Mileva in Krmeći kas, Gospava in Čudo u Šarganu, Mir-Jam in Ranjeni orao and Julija Varadi in Korespondencija.

Her stage record also includes Valerie in Tales from the Vienna Woods (Priče iz bečke šume), Charlotte in Bergmanova sonata, Meg in The Beauty Queen of Leenane (Lepotica Linejnska), Maga in Balkanska plastika, the title role in Žanka and Mary in Long Day’s Journey into Night (Dugo putovanje u noć). She also performed on the stages of the National Theatre, Zvezdara Theatre, Belgrade Drama Theatre, Gardoš Theatre, KULT Theatre, the Open Theatre “Studentski grad”, Moderna Garaža and Slavija Theatre.

Colleagues described her as a demanding but exceptionally professional and fair collaborator, who loved her work more than is usual.

Personal Life

Marriage and Family

Ružica Sokić was married for a long time to Miroslav Miki Lukić, an economist. The couple had no children. The actress said publicly that her desire for a career was the biggest reason she accepted she would not become a mother, and she also admitted a fear of childbirth.

She directed her maternal warmth toward her nephew, today known as Abdulah Numan, the Mufti of Serbia, whom, it is said, she regarded almost as her own child. Her father Petar died in 1964 and her mother Vukosava in 2000.

In 2010 she published a memoir, Strast za letenjem. Two books are associated with her name, one of which was published by the publishing house “Laguna”.

Illness and Death

Ružica Sokić spent the last years of her life struggling with Alzheimer’s disease. According to her husband, she did not fully realize how ill she was. She underwent an operation in 2012, after which her health deteriorated further.

She died on 19 December 2013 in Belgrade, five days after her 79th birthday, after a prolonged illness. She was buried in the Alley of Distinguished Citizens at the New Cemetery in Belgrade.

Interesting Facts

• She made her first film appearance in 1957, uncredited.
• She spent thirty-seven seasons at Atelje 212 and performed in about seventy productions.
• She played about 180 roles on film and television.
• As a girl she was a member of the Children’s Radio Drama Group of Radio Belgrade.
• She wrote the memoir Strast za letenjem (2010).
• From 1996 to 2000 she taught acting at the “Braća Karić” Academy of Arts.
• In 2015 a bequest (legat) dedicated to her work was opened at the Yugoslav Film Archive.
• An award bearing her name is presented every year on 14 December, her birthday.

Awards and Recognition

• Silver Arena at the Pula Film Festival for Gorki deo reke (1965; sources differ on the type of award).
• Golden Arena at the Pula Film Festival for Žuta (1973) and Užička republika (1974).
• July 7 Award (Sedmojulska nagrada, 1989).
• Joakim Vujić statuette (1999).
• Nušić Award (2002).
• Pavle Vuisić Award (2003).
• Velika Žanka (2007).
• Dobričin prsten (2011).
• The Sterija Award and the Golden Turkey (Zlatni ćuran); the years are not confirmed in the available sources.

Legacy and Influence

The legacy of Ružica Sokić lives on through her roles, but also through the institutions that preserve her name. The “Ružica Sokić” Foundation, which according to media reports was established by her husband, awards a prize every 14 December for the best role of the season, on the recommendation of colleagues. The first presentation took place in 2014, and the award has gone to, among others, the actress Kalina Kovačević.

Ružica Sokić’s bequest is kept at the Yugoslav Film Archive, where it was opened in 2015. Her roles in Žuta, Tesna koža and Zona Zamfirova, as well as her television characters from Srećni ljudi and Greh njene majke, remain part of cultural memory.

For younger actors she remains a model of discipline, professionalism and devotion to the theatre. Many of her collaborators stressed that on stage she always gave her all.

Biography – Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Ružica Sokić?

Ružica Sokić was a Serbian film, stage and television actress and a longtime member of Belgrade’s Atelje 212. In a career of more than five decades she played about 180 film and television roles.

When and where was Ružica Sokić born?

She was born on 14 December 1934 in Belgrade, then in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

What is Ružica Sokić best known for?

She is best known for the streetwalker in the film Žuta, Persida Pantić in the Tesna koža series, Veliborka in the series Srećni ljudi and Taska in the film Zona Zamfirova.

When and how did Ružica Sokić die?

She died on 19 December 2013 in Belgrade, aged 79, after a prolonged illness. She had been battling Alzheimer’s disease.

Where is Ružica Sokić buried?

She is buried in the Alley of Distinguished Citizens at the New Cemetery in Belgrade.

Did Ružica Sokić have children?

She had no children. She said publicly that her desire for a career influenced that decision.

Who was Ružica Sokić married to?

She was married to Miroslav Miki Lukić, an economist, with whom she spent several decades.

What awards did Ružica Sokić win?

Her awards include the Golden Arena in Pula, the Nušić Award, the Pavle Vuisić Award, the Velika Žanka and the Dobričin prsten.

What is the “Ružica Sokić” award?

It is an honor presented by the “Ružica Sokić” Foundation every 14 December for the best role in a theatre season, on the recommendation of distinguished figures from theatre and film.

Conclusion

Ružica Sokić was one of the most significant actresses of Yugoslav and Serbian theatre. From a children’s radio drama group to the stage of Atelje 212, and from the film Žuta to the comedy Tesna koža and the film Zona Zamfirova, she built a career founded on talent, hard work and devotion. Her name is still carried today by an award and a foundation, and her roles continue to be enjoyed.