Mija Aleksic
Encyclopedia
Milosav "Mija" Aleksić (Serbian Cyrillic: Милосав "Мија" Алексић; September 26, 1923 – March 12, 1995) was a beloved Serbia
n actor
.
Aleksić was born in Gornja Crnuća
village in Gornji Milanovac
municipality, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. During World War II
, when Axis powers
occupied the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
, 17-year-old Mija Aleksić attended high school in Kragujevac. On October 21, 1941, as a retaliation to sporadic Partisan
guerilla attacks in the area, German occupational authorities committed one of the worst massacres in regional history (Kragujevac massacre
) - shooting several thousand randomly chosen citizens of Kragujevac, including entire high school classes. Mija Aleksić managed to escape and was one of the few surviving men of his generation in his native town.
Mija Aleksić initially enrolled in law school. But he gradually discovered a talent for acting. From the end of war till 1948 he worked in Kragujevac theatre. In 1951 he joined the Yugoslav Drama Theatre
in Belgrade
, where he would stay until 1965. He then joined the National Theatre in Belgrade
, where he stayed until retirement.
Although notable for his drama talent, Mija Aleksić is best known as a comedian. Additionally, he was one of the first actors in the Balkans
whose career benefited from the new medium of television. In 1950s and 1960s, following the series of extremely popular sitcoms, he became one of the most popular entertainers of former Yugoslavia. Studio, the very first TV guide in history of the region, had his face on the cover its first issue in 1964. The popular TV sitcoms include Servisna Stanica (Car repair station), Ogledalo gradjanina Pokornog (The mirror of the citizen Pokorny) and others. Unfortunately, out of the impressive opus, only fragments (a few episodes) are preserved.
Mija Aleksić had also his TV Show, Mija Show and several episodes of this program have been preserved. He appeared in "Vaga za tačno merenje", an educative TV series for children. Also, he ad an interesting role of commenting political events in "Monitor", a TV news-magazine from eighties.
Aleksić's popularity gradually declined, but he continued to work in 1970s and 1980s. One of his last great roles was in 1982 cult comedy The Marathon Family
. His last film was Tango Argentino. He died in Belgrade
, Serbia
, FR Yugoslavia.
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
Aleksić was born in Gornja Crnuća
Gornja Crnuca
Gornja Crnuća is a village in Gornji Milanovac municipality of Serbia, located at . In the 2002 census, it had 239 residents. There are several points of significance in the village...
village in Gornji Milanovac
Gornji Milanovac
Gornji Milanovac is a town and municipality located in Serbia at 44.012691° North, 20.273572° East. Its name means "Upper Milanovac" while Milanovac stems from name "Milan" in the Serbian language. The population of town is 24,048.The city was founded in 1853...
municipality, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when Axis powers
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
occupied the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
, 17-year-old Mija Aleksić attended high school in Kragujevac. On October 21, 1941, as a retaliation to sporadic Partisan
Partisans (Yugoslavia)
The Yugoslav Partisans, or simply the Partisans were a Communist-led World War II anti-fascist resistance movement in Yugoslavia...
guerilla attacks in the area, German occupational authorities committed one of the worst massacres in regional history (Kragujevac massacre
Kragujevac massacre
The Kragujevac massacre was the murder of men and boys in Kragujevac, Serbia, by Nazi German soldiers between 20–21 October 1941. All males from the town between the ages of sixteen and sixty were assembled, including high school students, and the victims were selected from amongst them...
) - shooting several thousand randomly chosen citizens of Kragujevac, including entire high school classes. Mija Aleksić managed to escape and was one of the few surviving men of his generation in his native town.
Mija Aleksić initially enrolled in law school. But he gradually discovered a talent for acting. From the end of war till 1948 he worked in Kragujevac theatre. In 1951 he joined the Yugoslav Drama Theatre
Yugoslav drama theatre
Yugoslav drama theatre is a theatre in Belgrade, Serbia. The theatre was established in 1947 with an intention of consolidating actors and writers from all over the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia...
in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, where he would stay until 1965. He then joined the National Theatre in Belgrade
National Theatre in Belgrade
The National Theatre was founded in the latter half of the 19th century. It is located on Republic Square, in Belgrade, Serbia.The National Theatre was declared a Monument of Culture of Great Importance in 1983, and it is protected by the Republic of Serbia....
, where he stayed until retirement.
Although notable for his drama talent, Mija Aleksić is best known as a comedian. Additionally, he was one of the first actors in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
whose career benefited from the new medium of television. In 1950s and 1960s, following the series of extremely popular sitcoms, he became one of the most popular entertainers of former Yugoslavia. Studio, the very first TV guide in history of the region, had his face on the cover its first issue in 1964. The popular TV sitcoms include Servisna Stanica (Car repair station), Ogledalo gradjanina Pokornog (The mirror of the citizen Pokorny) and others. Unfortunately, out of the impressive opus, only fragments (a few episodes) are preserved.
Mija Aleksić had also his TV Show, Mija Show and several episodes of this program have been preserved. He appeared in "Vaga za tačno merenje", an educative TV series for children. Also, he ad an interesting role of commenting political events in "Monitor", a TV news-magazine from eighties.
Aleksić's popularity gradually declined, but he continued to work in 1970s and 1980s. One of his last great roles was in 1982 cult comedy The Marathon Family
The Marathon Family
The Marathon Family is a 1982 comedy film written by Dušan Kovačević and directed by Serbian director Slobodan Šijan. It has a cult film status in Serbia as well as other countries from the former Yugoslavia region, and is regarded as one of the classics of Serbian cinematography.-Plot:The story...
. His last film was Tango Argentino. He died in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, FR Yugoslavia.