Rade Šerbedžija Affirms Serbian Roots and Croatian Birth Amid Yugoslav War Reflections

Actor Rade Šerbedžija, who recently celebrated his 80th birthday, told Portal Revije Fokus that he was born in Croatia and identifies as a Serb from Croatia, proud of his heritage and likening himself to Nikola Tesla. He recalled that the outbreak of the Yugoslav wars found him in Belgrade, prompting his exile from Zagreb and the start of a new life in Serbia, where he later met director Lenka Udovički, his partner.

Šerbedžija said he opposed the nationalist politics of the 1990s and, together with many artists, faced threats and accusations of treason for advocating peace. He stressed he never called for the restoration of Yugoslavia or any political system, insisting only that his memories of a happy youth should remain untouched.