Stevo Žigon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Stevo Žigon
Стево Жигон
Stevo Žigon on a 2009 Serbian stamp
Born	(1926-12-08)8 December 1926 Ljubljana, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (now Slovenia)
Died	28 December 2005(2005-12-28) (aged 79) Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro (now Serbia)
Nationality	Slovenian, Serbian
Education	Faculty of Dramatic Arts
Alma mater	University of Arts in Belgrade
Occupation	Actor, theatre director, writer

Stevo Žigon (Serbian Cyrillic: Стево Жигон) was a famous actor, theatre director, and writer from Yugoslavia. He was born on December 8, 1926, and passed away on December 28, 2005.

About Stevo Žigon

Grave of Stevo Žigon in Belgrade

Stevo Žigon was born in Ljubljana, which is now in Slovenia. At the time, it was part of a country called the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. His family came from a region called the Slovenian Littoral, which was then controlled by Italy.

His father was from a village near Komen, and his mother was from the Slovene community in Trieste. His family moved to the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1922. This happened when the Fascist government took over in Italy.

Early Life and Education

Stevo Žigon studied acting in Ljubljana and Leningrad. He finished his studies in 1952 at the Academy for Theatre Arts in Belgrade. He later became one of the first assistants for acting at the university in Belgrade.

When he was young, Stevo loved to read. He was especially interested in poetry.

Time During World War II

In 1941, when Stevo was 15, he joined the Communist Youth League. He took part in many secret actions to resist the occupation during World War II.

In 1942, the Italian Army captured him. Because he was still a minor (under 18), he was not executed. Instead, he spent a year in an Italian military prison.

After Italy surrendered in September 1943, the German army captured him. He was sent to the Dachau concentration camp in Germany. While he was there, he learned to speak German very well.

Acting Career and Famous Roles

Because Stevo spoke German so well and had a certain manner, he often played serious and sometimes cold German officers in films and TV shows.

He is best known for playing "Krieger," the chief of the Belgrade Gestapo. This was a main character in the popular 1970s TV series Otpisani and Povratak otpisanih.

In 1968, during student protests in Belgrade, Stevo Žigon performed in a play called Danton's Death. He played the character of Robespierre. His speech during the play deeply moved the students, and they cheered for him.

Family Life

Stevo Žigon was married to a Serbian actress named Jelena Jovanović - Žigon. Their daughter, Ivana, also became an actress.

Filmography