Goran Visnjic

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9.5 Superb
238 votes

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Biography

Recent Role:
Niko Lonza on Pan Am
Gender:
Male
Born:
9-9-1972
Birthplace:
Šibenik, Croatia
AKA:
Goran Višnjiæ, Goran Višnjic
Goran Visnjic was born in Sibenik, Croatia on September 9, 1972. The child of a bus driver and a food market worker, he has one older brother. Visnjic is married to Ivana Vrdoljak, daughter of director Antun Vrdoljak, and they have one adopted son, Tin.





Goran Visnjic began acting as a ten-year old, and an appearance in Equus at age 12 earned him his first standing ovation, followed by the directors suggestion that he had the skill to be a professional actor. After completing high school, he performed his mandatory service the Yugoslavian army





More at age 18 where he trained as a paratrooper, making 13 jumps. After the beginning of the Croatian War of Independence, he volunteered for the Croatian Army, but was replaced by his brother when he was accepted at the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Zagreb. Classically trained, Visnjic’s skills include fencing, which helped earn him his first stage role as Hamlet in the Dubrovnik Summer Festival production, a role he would play seven years, and for which he won three best actor awards. The role also brought him to the attention of director Michael Winterbottom, who cast him as the Bosnian driver Risto in Welcome to Sarajevo. That arresting performance, in turn, led to a stand-out role in Practical Magic, and caught the eye of ER producer Jack Orman, who recommended he be cast as the new doctor replacing George Clooney in 1999.





Since joining the cast of ER, Visnjic has starred in the independent film The Deep End with Tilda Swinton, the thriller Close Your Eyes, the television adaptation of Spartacus, and the action film Elektra opposite Jennifer Garner. While active in the American film and television industry, Visnjic continues to work in his home country. In 2004, he appeared in the film Duga Mracna Noc (Long Dark Night which was Croatia’s submission for the 2004 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, and for which he won both the Best Actor Award at the Pula Film Festival, and the Vladimir Nazor Award, Croatia’s highest artistic award. He recently completed a guest appearance on Hravatski Television’s Nasa mala klinika (Our Little Clinic), and has announced plans to star in a film biography of controversial Croatian general Ante Gotovina. Visnjic is also strongly rumored to be the leading candidate to play the villian in the upcoming 22nd Bond film.





Having completed his eighth year on ER, Goran Visnjic is contracted to play ER’s lead character, Dr. Luka Kovac though the show’s upcoming 2007-2008 season on a limited basis, and is expected to leave the show before the season\'s end.

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  • Goran's best acting

    Of course, his best work is yet to come, but I'm interested to know what you think about this: In which role has Goran done his best acting? I have seen very little of his work except for ER, so what should I see? I'd like you to give me some suggestions. Thanks! :)

    13 comments, last one Mar 12, 2011
  • ER coming to ION Television this summer!!

    So excited to report that ER will be airing on ION Television all summer. It will start on June 9th with a huge marathon throughout the first week. Then the week after it will go into its normal time-slot of 10pm. Luke is so freaking hot. There are some great pictures of him on ION's new ERMore webpage. www.ionline.tv. But of coarse no one is as hot as my Carter. Love you both!

    2 comments, last one Sep 11, 2008
  • Luka's age

    Have we ever been told how old Luka is? I have a theory that Goran, the actor, is younger than Luka, the character. Am I right? I'd like to know your thoughts on that.

    5 comments, last one Mar 22, 2008
  • ER Season 14 returns

    Although we expect Luka to be mentioned this season , we do not know when we will next see him. He left at the end of season 13 to be with his sick father in Croatia.

    4 comments, last one Oct 21, 2007
  • Forum Information

    I have been asked to explain why the board is looking so depleted. I have cleared out a number of the old threads, for example those that I had created to celebrate events that are past, such as Valentine's Day and last Christmas. We are now in season 14, so the old discussion threads haveMore been removed. The picture threads had broken links, so there was little point in reading discussion about a small white box with a red cross in it. Life and Other Nonsense was removed, which was undoubtedly a great shame, in the time before I took over the editorship.

    1 comments, last one Sep 27, 2007
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Goran Visnjic News

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  •  
    9.5 Superb
    wish to see him in a big Hollywood movie as a leading actor. hide show

    I only watch the episodes which includes Goran Visnjic. The relation between Abby and Luka was adorable. They were the best couple in the series.
    He is a very talented actor. I first saw him as bus driver in Welcome to Sarajevo which was a wonderful first class film then the bad guy in practical magic with Nicole and Sandra. Then ER. I know lots of people who start watching the show after Goran was introduced as Luka.
    I think that he definately deserves to be a bigger star. Once I heard that he would be in the Bond movie but unfortunately this information was wrong. I wish to see him as a leading actor in a big Hollywood movie. A villian in Bond can be counted too.

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  •  
    10 Perfect
    What can be said about such a Great MAN? hide show

    I was just about ready to turn off the TV as i was not an avid ER fan.That is not to say that i had not ever watched just off and on...But on that night i saw a glimmer of hope for the show when they introduced Goran Visnjic.i have never missed an epsoid since then. He brought such a great mystery and Charm to the ER and of course he fell in love with Abby and let us not forget the humor that he also has, and has been involved in so many great stoylines since he first arried in Chicago.

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  •  
    9.9 Superb
    Goran Višnjic, naasceu dia 9/9/72 é um ator croata radicado nos EUA. Desde 99 faz parte do elenco da série E.R. no papel do médico Luka Kovač. Goran entrou para o elenco da série da NBC ER na última temporada. hide show

    Višnjić cresceu em uma cidade fora do Mar Adriático na sua Croácia nativa, onde ainda muito jovem decidiu que queria ser ator. Participou primeiramente de grupos de teatro locais e se inscreveu então na Academia de Artes Dramáticas em Zagreb. Ganhou a popularidade na Croácia quando, aos 21 anos, interpretou o papel principal de 'Hamlet', de Shakespeare, no prestigioso Festival de Verão de Dubrovnik. Desde que começou Visnjic não parou mais de fazer sucesso com filmes, séries e produções como "ER", a série americana de grande prestígio. Em seu tempo de lazer, Visnjic gosta de nadar. Vive em Los Angeles com sua esposa, Ivana. Participou do clipe "The Power of Goodbye", da cantora Madonna, feito em 1998.
    2005 - Elektra (Elektra) 2004 - Spartacus (Spartacus) (TV) 2004 - Duga mracna noc 2002 - Doctor Sleep 2002 - A era do gelo (Ice age) (voz) 2001 - Posljednja volja 2001 - Até o fim (Deep end, The) 2000 - Rebelde até o fim (Committed) 1998 - Da magia à sedução (Practical magic) 1998 - Cartas na mesa (Rounders) 1998 - Tesko je reci zbogom (TV) 1997 - O pacificador (Peacemaker, The) 1997 - Bem-vindo a Sarajevo (Welcome to Sarajevo) 1997 - Olujne tisine 1895-1995 (TV) 1997 - Puska za uspavljivanje 1996 - Prepoznavaje (TV) 1995 - Na mira certa (Night watch) (TV) 1995 - Vidimo se (TV) 1993 - Paranoja 1988 - Braca po materi

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  •  
    10 Perfect
    I don`t speak english very well (I live in Argentina), but I'm crazy for this man!!! He's charming, and talentous too. He's the most sexy man, for me, and I love him. Volim tè, Goran!!! (I love you in croatian), and Happy Birthday to you! GOD BLESSED YOU. hide show

    I enjoy his acent, croatian. I had buy a soccer Seleccion Croatian t-shirt, and stamp, on my back, SIME. That's his nickname and he used the same t-shirt, in one episode of the show. I visited Warner Studio last March, and used this t-shirt, but I didn't see him or other ER's actors. But I can visited the place where film ER, Ambulance entrance, County General Hospital, The Loop, Jumbo Mark. And he had film a lot of movies. Some excelent movies, how Close your eyes (a.k.a.Hipnotic) and videos "The power of goodbye" with Madonna(1998), and recently, "Burn my Shadow", sing UNKLE, excelent song and amazing video!!!! I recomende you.
    The fans expected that he was elected the last James Bond, but the choice take Daniel Craig (very god 007!!!), and now, said that he'll work in the next James Bond film, but on villain paper, but he said that it's no true.
    He visited Argentina, on May 13th thru 17th, but nobody knows about his visit. We know it the day before departured :))) The Latinoamerican Goran Visnjic's fans Club: VOLIM TE (I'm the President :) ), are very sad and decepcionated, because he and Warner didn't say nothing :((( So, we'll expecte that the nex time, he'll anouncie his visit, and we can know him, awwww.

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  •  
    8.4 Great
    great actor, great works, he has amazing things around his career and is one of my favorite actors since Er hide show

    goran visjnic: luka kovac, great character, he is one of the best, he next to maura (abby) they have turned the show into the most exciting drama, he has to worry about his family and also work, something that makes it more interesting, it keeps getting better and better. he is pretty talented and i have seen his work in movies and guest apareances in other series and he does a great job in every one of them, i think he should have been a bigger star, but i dont complain cause he has done amaizing works and he is great on ER.

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