Goran Višnjić facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Goran Višnjić
Višnjić at Rome Film Festival in 2014
Born	(1972-09-09) 9 September 1972 (age 52) Šibenik, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia
Citizenship	Croatia United States (since 2013)
Education	Academy of Dramatic Art
Alma mater	University of Zagreb
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1988–present
Spouse(s)	Eva Višnjić ​ (m. 1999)​
Children	4
Relatives	Antun Vrdoljak (father-in-law)

Goran Višnjić (Croatian: [ɡǒran ʋîʃɲitɕ] VISH-nyich; born on September 9, 1972) is an actor from Croatia and the United States. He has acted in many movies and TV shows in America and Britain. He is well-known for playing Dr. Luka Kovač in the TV series ER. He also played Garcia Flynn in Timeless. Both of these shows were on NBC. For his work on ER, he and the other actors were nominated for two Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Goran Višnjić's Early Life

Goran Višnjić was born on September 9, 1972, in Šibenik, which was then part of Yugoslavia. He has an older brother named Joško. His father, Željko, was a bus driver, and his mother, Milka, worked at a market.

Goran loved acting from a young age. He performed in plays when he was a child. At 16, he made his first movie appearance in a Yugoslav film called Braća po materi (1988).

In 1990, when he was 18, Goran served in the Yugoslav People's Army for one year. He was a paratrooper. Soon after, in 1991, Yugoslavia began to break apart. Goran then joined the new Croatian Ground Army. After leaving the army, he moved to Zagreb. There, he studied acting at the Academy of Dramatic Art.

Goran Višnjić's Acting Career

Goran Višnjić became the youngest actor to play the main role in Shakespeare's famous play, Hamlet. This was at the Dubrovnik Summer Festival. He was first cast as Laertes and was the understudy for Hamlet. But the main actor left the show just before it started. So, Goran took over the role of Hamlet. He played Hamlet from 1994 to 2000 and won three national awards for it. In an episode of ER, he even showed his skill by saying a part of Hamlet's "To be, or not to be" speech in Croatian.

Before ER, Goran worked on local TV shows. He also appeared in a commercial for Tuborg beer that was shown in Europe. He had small roles in movies like The Peacemaker, Practical Magic, and Committed. In 1998, he was in Madonna's music video "The Power of Good-Bye." He also had a small part in the film Rounders.

His role as Risto, a driver from Bosnia, in the movie Welcome to Sarajevo helped him get noticed. This led producer John Wells to offer him a role on ER. He joined the show in late 1999 during its sixth season. He replaced George Clooney as a doctor. By season 12, he became the main male actor on the show. He took over from Noah Wyle, who left after season 11. By season 14, he appeared less often. He left the show completely early in season 15.

Other Projects While on ER

While starring in ER, Goran also worked on other movies. He was in The Deep End. He also starred in and helped produce Posljednja volja. He voiced Soto in the animated movie Ice Age. He also starred in Close Your Eyes with Shirley Henderson and Miranda Otto.

In 2004, he starred in the TV miniseries Spartacus. He also appeared in the film Duga mračna noć. Next, he was in Elektra with Jennifer Garner. In 2005, Goran was one of the four actors considered for the role of James Bond. However, Daniel Craig got the part. Goran later appeared with Daniel Craig in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Recent Roles and Projects

In 2009, Goran Višnjić was in a part of the film New York, I Love You. This movie is a collection of short stories set in New York. His part, called Apocrypha, was directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev. This part was not in the movie when it was shown in theaters. But it was included in the DVD version. He then starred in Helen with Ashley Judd. The movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

Višnjić also appeared in The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler. This film was about a young Polish woman who saved many Jewish children during World War II in Warsaw. It was filmed in Riga, Latvia. The movie aired on CBS in 2009. He also finished a role in Mike Mills' independent film, Beginners. In late 2009, he was cast as Samson in The Deep, which was shown on BBC One in 2010.

He played Andrija Hebrang in the TV miniseries Tito. He also appeared in a TV pilot for ABC called Boston's Finest. In this show, he played a police officer trying to clear his name. He also had a guest role in two episodes of the TV series Leverage. He played an international criminal named Damien Moreau.

In 2011, he played Dragan Armansky in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. He signed on to play this role in the whole film series. He also appeared in four episodes of the TV series Pan Am. He played a diplomat from Yugoslavia who worked for the United Nations.

In 2014, Višnjić played John Woods in Extant. This show was produced by Steven Spielberg. Even though the show continued for a second season, he left early in that season.

From 2016 to 2018, he played Garcia Flynn in NBC's Timeless. Flynn was a former agent for the NSA.

In 2019, Višnjić played Ante Gotovina in the film General. This movie was directed by his father-in-law, Antun Vrdoljak. Some critics did not like his performance or the movie. The film was shown at the Pula Film Festival.

Višnjić played Nikola Tesla in the twelfth series of Doctor Who. He appeared in the episode "Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror" in January 2020. In early 2020, Goran was cast as Count Dracula in a TV pilot called The Brides.

In 2024, Višnjić returned to the stage. He starred in the play Ekvinocijo at the Dubrovnik Summer Festival. He also appeared in the final season of Vikings: Valhalla as Erik the Red.

Awards and Recognition

Goran Višnjić has received several awards for his acting. In November 2005, he was ranked #18 on the Hollywood magazine's list of "Best Croatian Male Movie Stars of All Time." In 2004, he was named the Best Croatian Actor for his role in the movie Duga mračna noć. This was based on votes from the newspaper Večernji list.

Personal Life

Goran Višnjić is married to Eva Višnjić. She is an artist and sculptor. Her father is film director Antun Vrdoljak. Goran and Eva have two adopted children and one biological child. They lived in Los Angeles, California, until 2021. They also have three homes in Croatia: in Zagreb, Šibenik, and Dubrovnik. In 2021, Goran and his family moved from Los Angeles to Cornwall, England.

Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Music Videos

Web Series

Theatre Performances

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Goran Višnjić para niños