Rade Šerbedžija

Rade Šerbedžija (Serbo-Croatian pronunciation: [rǎːde ʃerbědʒija]; born 27 July 1946), occasionally credited as Rade Sherbedgia in some English language productions, is a Croatian actor, director and musician of Serbian ethnicity. He is known for his portrayals of imposing figures on both sides of the law. He was one of the most popular Yugoslav actors in the 1970s and 1980s. He is internationally known mainly for his supporting roles in Hollywood films such as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, X-Men: First Class, The Saint and Mission: Impossible II and for his role as main villain Murad in Taken 2, and for his recurring role as former Soviet Army General Dmitri Gredenko in Season 6 of TV action series 24.

Early life and career in Yugoslavia

Šerbedžija was born in the village of Bunić within Lika region, PR Croatia, FPR Yugoslavia. He is an ethnic Serb from Croatia. In 1969, he graduated from the Academy of Dramatic Arts of the University of Zagreb and then worked as a theatre actor in the City Drama Theatre Gavella and at the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb. While still a student, Šerbedžija started to play leading roles in films and theater productions. He is remembered as an outstanding Peer Gynt, Don Juan, Melkior Tresić, Oedipus, Hamlet, Leone Glembay and Richard III. Šerbedžija was among the top actors in the former Yugoslavia, as well as an esteemed acting teacher at the Universities of Zagreb and Novi Sad.