Ljubiša Samardžić facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ljubiša Samardžić
Љубиша Самарџић
Samardžić at the Battle of Neretva premiere in Sarajevo in November 1969.
Born	(1936-11-19)19 November 1936 Skopje, Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Died	8 September 2017(2017-09-08) (aged 80) Belgrade, Serbia
Nationality	Serbian
Other names	Luba Samardy, Smoki
Occupation	Actor
Spouse(s)	Mirjana Samardžić ​ (m. 1966⁠–⁠2017)​

Ljubiša Samardžić (pronounced Lyoo-bee-sha Sa-mar-jich; 19 November 1936 – 8 September 2017), often called Smoki, was a famous Serbian actor and director. He was well-known for his roles as Šurda in the TV show Vruć vetar and as Inspector Boško Simić in the comedy crime series Policajac sa Petlovog brda (which means The Policeman from Petlovo Brdo). He also starred in a film with the same name.

Early Life of Ljubiša Samardžić

Ljubiša Samardžić was born in Skopje. His father was a coal miner from Montenegro, and his mother was from Kosovo. They met in Priština. He grew up in a village called Jelašnica, near Niška Banja, where his father also worked in a mine. He finished high school in Niš.

Ljubiša's acting talent was noticed very early. He won a special scholarship from director Bojan Stupica. Samardžić studied at the Belgrade Academy of Arts. After finishing his studies, he got his first role in the film Igre na skelama in 1961.

Ljubiša Samardžić's Acting Career

In the 1960s, Ljubiša Samardžić became one of the most famous and loved actors in what was then Yugoslavia. People knew him for his many roles in movies.

He was married to Mirjana Samardžić starting in 1966. Because of his nickname, Smoki, he was sometimes called Ljubisa Samardjic, Luba Samardy, Ljubisa Samardzic-Smoki, or Smoki Samardì in film credits.

In the 1990s, he and his son, Dragan, started their own film production company. Even though Yugoslavia was breaking up and there were international sanctions, their company still made many popular and successful films. Throughout his career, Ljubiša Samardžić acted in more than 180 films!

Awards and Recognition

Ljubiša Samardžić featured on a 2019 stamp from Serbia.

Ljubiša Samardžić won many awards for his acting. He received six Golden Arenas at the Pula Film Festival, which is a very important film festival. He also won many awards at film festivals in Italy.

As a director, his movies also earned special honors. They won the Grand Prix at the Montpellier Film Festival, the Public Award at Palm Springs, and the Opera Prima award at the Milan Film Festival. In August 1995, he received the "Pavle Vujisić" Life Achievement Award. This award recognized his amazing work and impact on Yugoslavian films.

Selected Films and TV Shows

Ljubiša Samardžić acted in many popular films and TV series. Here are some of his most well-known roles:

Actor Roles

Director Roles

Ljubiša Samardžić also directed several films:

• Sky Hook (2000)
• Natasha (2001)
• Ledina (2003)
• Goose Feather (2004)
• Black Horses (2007)
• Pale Moon (2008)
• The Scent of Rain in the Balkans (2011)