Jadran Malkovich is a multilingual actor and director, known for Whiskey Cavallier (2019), Alarm for Cobra 11 (2019) and Trotksy in Assasin's Creed Chronicles.

After much success on TV worldwide, two big roles awaited you in the Balkans. Have they implied a somewhat different preparation, maybe in a sentimental way? How does it feel to be back?

The preparation itself hasn’t been different. Generally, the work on set is not different from the sets outside of the country. The only thing, that has eventually become a privilege everywhere, is a rehearsal before shooting. For The Alphabet of our life we had at least a little time for rehearsal before the shooting started. Though, it also depends on the approach. Somebody likes rehearsals, somebody likes to see what’s going to happen at the time of the shooting. I like the mix of these two approaches.

And how’s to be back – it’s nice. Although, I’ve never been absent for too long for me to feel that I’m back somewhere.

How much had this global pandemic affected you and your career?

It affected me in more than one way, which I think it’s the case for almost everyone. At first, the break that had been imposed on most of us, I personally liked. Honestly, until then, I think I hadn’t had a period during which I truly and completely relaxed, tuned out of everything, and devoted to myself. In a way, at least business-wise, there was always a fear of missing something if I’m not available, or present, or ready... and I think that I used a good amount of that period well and worked on myself and the approach to it and my career.

At the same time, the situation has led to many losing their jobs, unfortunately. Yes, many people hadn’t been mentally able to handle that “break”, the tremendous number of deaths. I think that one thing has touched every person at least a little – and that’s uncertainty. What next, how long will it be like this, is the pandemic real, is it man-made, what will happen to vaccines, various conspiracy theories... Exceptionally hard period.

What is your biggest motivation, and what is a challenge when it comes to new roles and engagements?

Everything’s mixed somehow. In a sense that all those things that make a new role/project are motivation and challenge at the same time. A new role is a new life in a way. Lots of new people to work with. New approaches and new locations. New goals. New victories and new problems, new solutions. I think that a movie/a series/a play is like a puzzle that we are solving as a team until we assemble the picture we then present to the world.

Is there a role you expect, but haven’t played it yet? What kind of role would it be?

Oh yes, more than one. The list is long so I’m going to name just a few... I would really like to do at least one action movie and then something completely different – an indie movie... And something stylized like Ocean’s 11 and then art house... Not necessarily in that order. There are a few projects for the next year that bring some of these roles.

You live a quite nomadic lifestyle. What is for you that we say, “feels like home”?

Mostly where I am at the moment. It’s always been like that. I’ve never been nostalgic for places and I’ve always been good on the move. Lately, I’ve started thinking about where I want my base to be. I’m still working on it.

It looks like you have been walking through genres quite a bit. Besides Spielberg’s accomplishment, in which you played a part, you had a chance to try yourself in the Bodyguard musical. What are your experiences as someone who has taken part in these projects?

Yes, but unfortunately, my scene in that movie didn’t end up in the final version of the movie. I’d been so disappointed back then, and I thought I must have done something wrong. After talking to a couple of people, they showed me how often this had happened to big, famous actors, and how much the movie was being edited. The shooting on that film was spectacular and grueling. The set was somewhere outside of London, on the piece of land the size of four football fields, and it seemed as if World War I was going on, indeed. The explosions, the shootings, the horses, the tanks, the mud – everything was there... Everything was real and alive. The musical and the theatre are completely different worlds. We’d had eight plays per week, with one free day (Monday), and additional rehearsals during the day. Basically, the same play was played in that rhythm for a year with possible extension. The rehearsals are also very intensive and last about two months, and of course, the main difference is acting live.

There’s something special in it when there’s an audience and when that energy is felt. I’m not sure if I answered the question here...

What has acting given you, and what has it taken from you?

Good question. It seems to me as if it’s only taking and not giving anything back haha... It’s giving me the possibility to communicate with a lot of people at the same time, to provide people with entertainment, to travel (though that could be done and without acting), but maybe, most of all, that feeling when a scene comes to life. I don’t know if it really has taken anything from me. It required a lot of work, forgoing and dedication...

Do you predict a bright future for actors in Serbia?

Definitely yes. The quality of production at the moment is on a high level with a tendency to grow. And that really makes me happy.